Biography

My name is Erik van Cuyk. I live in Arnhem, a Dutch medium-sized city near the German border. I once graduated as a lawyer but after a few wanderings  I chose photography.

I picked up the camera somewhere in 2014. Pretty soon after that some of my travel images where published in the Aer Lingus inflight Magazine. That encouraged me to take a professional direction as a photographer.

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In december 2018 I graduated from the Photo Academy in Amsterdam.​

  "I focus on things that I think are not sufficiently portrayed. It feels like an injustice that they are not properly seen. I work in the tradition of Democracy Photographers"

I just try to get connected with my environment. Real deep connection, on the emotional level. I miss that in daily life, and therefore I sometimes even feel lonely. We all are too busy working out our myths and identities. I try to poke through that with my eyes and lens. I want people to feel when looking at my images, feeling an emotion before the thinking starts.

Education 

2015 - 2018

1988 - 1992

Photo Academy Amsterdam

Dutch and International Law, Nijmegen

Awards & Shortlisted

2020

2019

2019

2017

2016

Selected for Internatonal Photo Festival Leiden 2020

Arnhem Award 'Een Goed Boek 2019', CASA + OPA

ARLES Photofestival Voies Off 2019

100 New Dutch Talent, GUP/NIKON

Selected Photogram, Amsterdam

Exhibitions 

2020

2020

2019

2019

2019

2019

2019

2019

2018

Eindhoven City & Library 'Embrace Freedom'

Rijnwijk book Part of MARTIN PARR COLLECTION Tate Gallery, London

Marrakech Photofestival Voies Off 2019

Book publication UNSEEN Amsterdam 2019

ARLES Photofestival Voies Off 2019

ESPY Photo, Elysium Swansea, Wales (UK)

Expo Museum Hilversum

Expo 'LUCID' Loods 6 Amsterdam

Rotterdam Photo Festival

Media

2020

2020

2020

2019

2019

2019

2019

2019

2019

2019

2019

2016

Podcast 'Embrace Freedom', RARARADIO Eindhoven

Article Dutch newspaper 'Eindhovens Dagblad' on project 'Embrace Freedom'  

Publication 'Kijken', Dutch newspaper De Gelderlander

Publication SHUTR Magazine, project 'Boyman'

Review FOCUS Magazine, project 'Rijnwijk'

Article in KIEKIE Magazine, 'from the inside' 

Review PHOTOBOOKJOURNAL

Interview, article BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Publication series 'Rijnwijk My Neighborhood' & Interview in Sprank Magazine

Publication portrait 'Ferry Mingelen' in ANBO Magazine

Publication & interview in Dutch newspaper 'De Gelderlander' 

Publication series 'Connemara park' in CARA Inflight Aer Lingus