Merlijn Hooijsma (1999) Autonomous Photographer

In December 2023, I graduated from the Fotoacademie Amsterdam. From a young age, I have had an affinity for cameras and rolls of film, and I have always been aware of the world around me.

In my work, I use light to question the essence of things. I use light playfully, through which I observe and form my vision. For me, light represents awareness, new energy.

With my camera, I take the freedom to shape the fluid reality, where the hierarchy between humans, nature, and objects fades. I do not perceive reality as fixed. In my projects, I look at the world as if I am seeing it for the first time, like on the first day, full of wonder where everything is still new.