Amsterdam-based photographer Annelies Damen was named the Grand Prize winner for photography in Represent —a competition organized by SeeMe, a platform and community for artists. Entrants were invited to share work that deeply reflected what they value and how they want to be seen.
Represent
Artists have great power and influence to “represent” and interpret what they see in the world—and the world they want to see. Our collective representation shapes perception, divides opinion, and leaves a lasting impression on the world around us.
Represent arrived at a time of profound social change and unrest. The way we present ourselves to the world affects our acceptance and opportunities—and can sometimes provoke bias and persecution.
Within this theme, Annelies Damen won with her latest series, Longing for Lamu.
Lamu feels like “her home” in Africa. From the moment she first set foot on the Kenyan archipelago twenty years earlier, the place’s poetic atmosphere sparked her creativity.
For centuries, Lamu has preserved much of its unspoiled Swahili culture, evoking dreams of the past.
Beyond its slow pace of life, the surrounding Indian Ocean, pure food, and Swahili architecture, the photographer is most fascinated by the women she meets there—the inspiration for this new series.
As an artist, Damen reveals the harmony between the female form and natural or architectural settings, creating painterly encounters of shadow, shape, and line infused with poetic beauty.
“The women on this continent fascinate me: magical, proud, independent, and sensual. From my first long journey through Africa, women became the central theme of my photography.” — Annelies Damen
The tropical equatorial light shines on the women walking through the narrow streets of Shela, a small village near Lamu. Some women are veiled in black, as is customary in Swahili culture. Others, from different Kenyan ethnic groups, display their colorful clothing and meet your gaze as they pass.
Each stay in Lamu brings Damen into closer, more personal contact with the women she meets and with the East African continent. Her experience on the island is unparalleled and addictive.
SeeMe is a platform and community that allows artists around the world to share their inspiration and vision with enthusiasts and collectors. Its partners have included Artsy, Sotheby’s Institute, SCOPE, Chashama, and Samsung.
