My Sweet Elora

Multi-disciplinary artist Luuk van Raamsdonk retraces his tragic family history back to a small, mysterious village in Canada. Where past and present collide.

‘’My Sweet Elora’’ (ongoing)

In the late autumn of 1970, my grandfather disappeared without a trace. No one knew why he left, or where to. Three months passed before he returned. He offered no explanation for his absence.

53 years later,  history repeats itself.
My father had an affair , revealing the long hidden fractures hiding within our family history

“Where did it all go wrong?’’ I asked myself. In need of answers,
I dove into the family archives. Within them, I found a lead that shone a light upon my grandfather’s secrets.

My search led me to Elora, Canada – a small, quiet village 115 kilometres outside of the city of Toronto. There, my grandfather had an affair with an unknown young lady while my grandmother awaited his return.

.This is where it all began. Seeing my reflection in the mistakes of both my father and grandfather, I decided not to let history repeat itself again. Prompting to travel to Elora three times in the span of a year.

My Sweet Elora is a collection of photographs and moving images of both the past and present Elora.

Using them to dissect the complicated nature of family dynamics. While also using it as an ongoing formulation of personal identity and self within the context of family history.  Elora becomes a symbol—a place where the past collides with the present, where the personal and universal intersect.

Through this journey, I confront the unresolved questions of love, loss. A mirror that reflects the cycles we inherit, the secrets we uncover, and the choices we make to shape our future.