Love may well be the most beautiful thing life has to offer, yet also perhaps the most difficult. It is the place where all feelings converge, both positive and negative. For a long time, I suppressed all the feelings we label as ‘negative’; I didn’t dare show them to others. The ever-perfect Ilse. Over time, I have learned that I do need to share these ‘negative’ feelings with others, even though it is difficult. Because it is precisely that vulnerability that brings us closer together. For me, photography offers an outlet where I can express these feelings and explore what they mean to me. In my photographic work, I explore the feelings I experience myself. These feelings often relate to love. I try to make visible the emotions that usually remain unseen—and to accept that these feelings are allowed to exist.

Hold (me) tight

Hold me tight, so tightly that I believe you will never let go.
The fear of losing love sometimes overshadows my love.
Making it feel as though I am slipping into a dark world,
Where it is hard to see or feel the love around me.
I long to live entirely out of love, rather than out of this fear. Yet this seems an impossible mission, for the longing for love gives rise to the fear. And the fear fuels an even greater longing. A vicious circle.

Here, somewhere, I dare to feel and to love, without the fear of losing you—or myself.