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Biography

Hi, My name is Erik. 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.

Erik van Cuyk Dutch Photographer

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.

In December 2018, I graduated from the Photo Academy in Amsterdam.

My graduation project turned out to be a photobook that gained attention. I was selected as one of the European Emerging Talents at the Arles Photo Festival Voies Off, and I received an email from Martin Parr expressing his admiration for the book!

At that moment, I felt like I had truly found the right path in life.

"A few years ago, I was a musician, playing guitar and singing the songs I wrote. My goal is to use my photography to transfer emotion on a similar level as music can (think this will be very difficult, but it is a good ambition...).

Erik van Cuyk_guitar1.jpg

I construct my images with elements from the real world. Like a set builder, but without moving the pieces and without any staging. I work with what is there-the everyday-because I want to stay close to the reality. It is that reality that includes everything already.

When I was about 20 years old, two things happened that influenced my view of the world and how I photograph. Through my studies, I came into contact with the philosophy of 'relativism' and at the same period, my mother died.

From then on, I became fascinated by 'the hustle and bustle of man'. We build, create, work. We 'struggle' day in and day out, through all times. We are pursuing identities and want to be seen; to be relevant. 
But why, really? Where does it lead? They are frantic attempts to make sense of it all, knowing that everything will perish anyway. We know this deep inside, we sometimes feel it.

I capture it, show it. And the ambiguous thing is that for me, this recording is also an attempt to make sense of it. 
I do so because it supports me in my own 'battle' with impermanence. I look for that motif around me, I can see it in the subjects I photograph. 
I feel a lot of sympathy for these things and people and give it a platform.

 

Education 

2015 - 2018

1988 - 1992

Photo Academy Amsterdam

Dutch and International Law, Nijmegen

Awards & Shortlisted

2023

2021

2019

2019

2017

2016

Editors Pick LENS CULTURE International Portraits Award 2023

Longlisted DUTCH NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY/RABO PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAIT PRICE

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

ARLES Photofestival Voies Off 2019: 'Emerging European Talents' 

100 New Dutch Talent, GUP/NIKON

Selected Photogram, Amsterdam

Exhibitions 

2023

2022

2021

2021

2020

2020

2019

2019

2019

2019

2019

2019

2018

EXPO 'Hier Ben Ik', Rozet Arnhem

EXPO 'Wij Zijn De Stad', Rozet Arnhem

International Photofestival Leiden

FotoFestival Naarden

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

2022

2021

2021

2021

2021

2021

2021

2021

2020

2020

2020

2019

2019

CHIP PHOTO MAGAZINE

Picture This, artist talk

NPO RADIO 1, VPRO Bureau Buitenland

NPO Radio 1, Nieuws&Co, NTR NOS

'Zorg & Welzijn Magazine

Pf Magazine (article on printing technique Playground 2020)

Dutch national newspaper NRC Handelsblad "elke stoeprand een skatebaan"

FOCUS MAGAZINE "Playground 2020"

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'

2019

Article in KIEKIE Magazine, 'from the inside' 

2019

2019

2019

2019

2019

2016

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

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