Venus Veldhoen shows a selection of approximately 150 portraits that she has made over the past 30 years. The book was designed by Inedition, Eva van der Schans. The foreword was written by Leo Divendal and there is an interview with the photographer by Naomi Heidinga. The book aims to place the portraits in a new context by ignoring time and place and focusing on the mutual interaction between the portrayed. This creates a rhythmic series of images that represent the different cultures, contrasts between excess and scarcity, survival and beauty, color explosions and black and white, and emphasizes the power of vulnerability.
In all her projects and portraits, Venus Veldhoen is looking for individuals whose search for the individuality of their existence is clearly evident. A recurring element in her work are the photos she took of her father. Her origins as the daughter of a Dutch father and a Vietnamese-Somali mother are also clearly reflected in her photography, in which she explores the interaction between different cultures and identities. The book Venus Veldhoen offers a unique look at 30 years of photography by this Amsterdam photographer and shows her search for the essence of human identity in a diverse world.
