‘Choose what fascinates you in Friesland,’ reads the commmission from editor-in-chief Hans Snijder and Fries Museum director Saskia Bak. Van Lohuizen chose the Wadden Sea and the fishermen who work there for several reasons: ‘I’ve always been intrigued by the fishermen on the mudflats: the prawn trawlers, the scramble in the shallows and the nets in the gullies. It’s a unique world, which was always unknown to me. So when I was approached to do a photo reportage on Friesland, the choice was obvious!’ Moreover, the Wadden Sea is a photogenic area that is included on the World Heritage List for good reasons. And finally, it is an exciting topic, because man and nature come together there and sometimes collide.
kadir van lohuizen
During his 25-year career as a photojournalist, Kadir van Lohuizen (1963) has documented many subjects and events, including wars in Africa and the Middle East. His long-term projects Aderen (Veins) about the world’s seven longest rivers, and Where will we go about the consequences of rising sea levels have brought him much renown. Van Lohuizen has received numerous prizes for his work, including two World Press Photo awards. In September 2007 he and ten other photographers founded NOOR photo agency. A year later he joined the World Press Photo’s Supervisory Board. Van Lohuizen has published five books, including Diamond Matters and Via PanAm.
collaboration
Since 2003 the Leeuwarder Courant and the Fries Museum have sporadically commissioned a well-known photographer to share his or her vision of Friesland. Kadir van Lohuizen is the fourth in the series. Predecessors include the Flemish photographer Stephan Vanfleteren in 2010, who focused on the role the past plays in modern Friesland.
