photo: © Ezra Böhm
Traditional Dutch crafts are on the verge of disappearing. This prompted photographer Ezra Böhm to spend three years traveling throughout the country in search of the most remarkable crafts still practiced today, capturing them in all their glory. In doing so, he hopes to inspire future generations to take an interest in this intangible heritage, which is so important to our culture and forms part of our identity.
Ezra photographed a total of seventeen crafts as they are still practiced today. His photo series reveals the tremendous diversity, richness, and importance of this centuries-old Dutch craft culture.
Each chapter of Forgotten Heroes highlights a different craft. The book not only features more than one hundred and fifty stunning photos across more than two hundred pages; it also gives a voice to the people portrayed. They discuss remarkable traditions, the importance of these professions to the Netherlands, and what it takes to keep these centuries-old crafts from disappearing.
Ezra Böhm (2000) is an art and advertising photographer based in Utrecht. His fascination with traditional cultures began in Malaysia, where he visited an Indigenous tribe at the age of 11. While studying at the Fotovakschool, he realized that he felt little cultural connection with his own country’s culture.
He therefore began using his camera to explore his own cultural roots, first with the award-winning series The Identity of Holland and later with the project Forgotten Heroes.
Alongside his art, Ezra undertakes a range of assignments in advertising, fashion, portraiture, architecture, and landscape, working in photography, film, and retouching.
His work has received several honors, including ‘Fresh Eyes 2020 - One of 100 emerging talents of Europe,’ gold at the Nd Awards 2021, and first prize at the IPA Photography Awards 2024.
Language: Dutch. This article refers to the Dutch-language edition. Forgotten Heroes - Ezra Böhm
Pages: 228
Price: €89.00
Publisher: Uitgeverij Komma
