Dindi van der Hoek (1976, The Netherlands) graduated in 1999 at the Willem de Kooning Academy and the Piet Zwart Institute (2000), both in Rotterdam.
By shooting and situating her scenes partially or completely under water, Dindi van der Hoek develops a unique and distinctive photographic oeuvre. The movements, reflections of water and the optical distortions water causes, are an important base in the search for her imagery and visual language, combined with historical references and sources such as the work of Francis Bacon and Caravaggio which influence her overall approach and technique.
With her underwater staged photography, Dindi wants to capture and visualize the balance and the duality of the the inner contradiction: "In my work, there is always another side to the picture. What appears to be fairytale aesthetic at first sight, behold forms of frustration and destruction at the same time."
As a viewer, you are confronted with images that are simultaneously intimate and intimidating. This contradiction provides an unmistakable character to the work: the game and battle between the two egos, the good and the bad, the fate of human nature. “I am intrigued by the investigation of the balance between the conscious and unconscious part of us, meaning 'you see' versus ‘you think what you see’. Our perception can be misleading and sometimes tempting and treacherous.
Dindi: “I transform the human figures by dressing them in clothing that resembles a mythical world. As I have a background in fashion as well (graduate in Fashion and Clothing in 1995) I am able to design and make these costumes myself. This allows me to manipulate them to the intentions of my photographic work. In my most recent work I have taken my photography one step further. Whereas in previous work my models floated vaguely in an unidentified space, they are now included in an overall picture, as I have added detailed backgrounds to my work. Thus I refer to famous classical painting styles, which I try to give a contemporary content. While some appreciate my work for it’s aesthetic quality, I am convinced that it is especially those aspects that contradict with these aesthetics, which define the ultimate quality of my work.”
Exhibitions a.o.:
- MOPLA Month of Photography Los Angeles, US
- Photoville, New York, US
- Morren Galleries Amsterdam & Utrecht
- Gemeente Museum Den Haag
- Chiefs and Spirits Gallery, Den Haag
- Sieboldhuis/Japanmuseum, Leiden
- Stedelijk Museum Zwolle
- Affordable Artfair Amsterdam
- Affordable Artfair Hamburg, Germany
- Affordable Artfair Brussels, Belgium
- Open Art Fair Utrecht
- Art&Antique Fair Den Bosch
- Pulchri Studio Den Haag
- FotoFestival Naarden
