Annelies Damen (1968), Academy of Photography Amsterdam (2006) exhibited in New York, Paris, Mumbai, London and Amsterdam. Her work is widely collected and has been exhibited in various institutions including SCOPE Miami, Sotheby’s, Fotofever Paris, Rademakers Gallery, White Space and Gorcums Museum.

After her studies at Nyenrode University (BBA), Damen started a promising career in the business world. But there was an inner call: “Photography became my main focus while traveling through Africa for a year from Morocco to South Africa. I decided to change my career and started a study at the Academy of Photography in Amsterdam. I love traveling around the world, especially in Africa. The women on this continent fascinate me: magical, proud, independent as well as sensual. From my first long journey in Africa onwards women became the central theme in my photography.”

Damen has sensitively captured strong female imagery from a myriad of cultures, which connects both to complement their surrounding landscape, creating a sort of sublime interaction in her work. As an artist she demonstrates the symphony between the female form in natural or architectonic settings, creating a painterly meeting of shadows, shapes and lines that are steeped in poetic beauty.

About Damen’s new Lamu series

Damen started a new photo project in Lamu, the island feels like ‘her home’ in Africa. The moment she puts her feet on the Kenyan Archipelago 20 years ago, the poetic feel of the place triggered her creativity. Lamu has maintained much of the unspoiled Swahili culture for centuries, which inspires dreams of the past. The slow pace of living, the surrounding Indian ocean, the organic food, the Swahili architecture but above all, she is intrigued by the women she meets who are the inspiration for this new series.

New Shadows and Bodysculptures

This is what the artist says about her new series:

On Body sculptures: “playing with light and shadow in present times. Inspired by analogue black & white photography from past times.”

On Shadows: “I have always been intrigued by bright sunlight and the play of unexpected shadows this causes. The female shadows seem to deform at a white wall. This is the beginning of a search to simplify my photography. My Ibiza muse, I have worked with her for many years, and the light of the sun on a white wall.
To make it more interesting I have added a plant which also gives interesting shadows. You see fields of playful and interesting patterns arising on the body and the wall.”