Gemengd - Mixed

In this project Gemengd (Mixed), I reflect on the confusion that can arise from having a mixed heritage.

In Gemengd (Mixed), I reflect on the confusion that can arise from having a mixed heritage. Confusing because one part of your heritage is privileged while another is not. Confusing because one part of your heritage was acknowledged by your ancestors, while another part was silenced. Confusing because society often seeks simple explanations for something inherently complex.

My mother is from Curaçao and my father is from the Netherlands. My mother herself is also of mixed descent: her paternal line includes Indigenous South American ancestry, while her maternal line consists of both a ‘white’ and a ‘black’ side. The ‘white’ side of my mother’s family was fully acknowledged, while the ‘black’ side received little attention.

In this exploration of identity, cultural layering, and the role physical appearance can play within it, I create images in which people of mixed heritage interact with elements from Curaçao. The photographs often isolate a single detail; each fragment part of a larger whole, serving as a metaphor for the many aspects that make up an identity. These fragments enter into dialogue with historical photographs from Curaçao, forming a body of work that is both visually and conceptually layered. The work aims to spark discussion around mixed heritage and the ongoing impact of colonial histories on how identities are formed today.