I am KOEN, creative director and in my photography I am passionate in exploring and capturing global rituals to show the beauty and diversity of people.

Because of my background as a theatre director, I am fascinated by the theatrical elements in everyday life. I am always looking for ways to explore and reveal these elements in my photography. This is because they teach me a lot about the world view from different people, with different cultures, around the world. This gives me the opportunity to tell underexposed stories about the fragility and wonder of human life through photography.

For me, a new photography project always starts with connecting with people from the community where I photograph. I spend a lot of time trying to understand the culture, often by living in or near the communities. Because the most important thing for me is to make a human connection. Only when I feel there is trust, I wil take out my camera.

A practical translation of my vision is that I work exclusively with prime lenses to create dynamics between myself and the subject of my photographs. This results in a collaboration between me and people from the community. I believe this is the most authentic and impressive way to show the beauty and diversity of humanity.