All previous winners - Dutch National Portrait Gallery

RABO PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAIT PRIZE

All previous winners

WOUTER LE DUC

Winner Rabo Photographic Portrait Prize 2022

‘‘A remarkable portrait, probably because of its subtlety. Only after looking a little longer does it unfold fully to us. The photographer lets us get very close to the person portrayed – literally and figuratively. (…)’ (From the jury report)

Wouter le Duc (1989) portrayed writer Daniëlle Zawadi (1999) in the Oud-Amelisweerd country house in Bunnik. Zawadi attended a talent development program for young writers: Slow Writing Lab. Le Duc: ‘In my development as a photographer there have always been specific portraits that mark a next step – this is one of them. I had a natural click with Daniëlle and while making this portrait I felt the space and opportunity to take the next step in terms of use of light’.

Wouter le Duc (b. 1989) received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam in 2014. During his studies, he spent a semester in Vancouver at the Emily Carr University of Art + Design and interned with Rob Hornstra. His work has been exhibited at Pan Amsterdam, Art Rotterdam, Copenhagen Photo Festival and the Royal Photographic Society Print Exhibition in the United Kingdom, among others. In addition to his personal projects, he does portrait commissions for various national and international newspapers, magazines and companies.

LAURA CHEN

Winner Rabo Photographic Portrait Talent 2022

©Laura Chen, serie Words From Dad, 2021

‘This is a strong concept serving a personal story. Laura Chen takes you into her family history, shows the fusion of different cultures in her images and creates an image for herself and the viewer of who her grandfather – sometimes surrounded by his loved ones – was. It’s amazing how vintage photography and timelessness merge in this work.’ (From the jury report)

Laura Chen never knew her grandfather, Tek Suan Chen. Her father’s stories about him intrigued her; about adaptatie to a new (Western) culture and about the multicultural upbringing of her father. For example, her grandfather also had a Dutch first name: Peter. In her photomontages, she merges Chinese and Dutch culture into a new identity. She sews several images together to create a series of family portraits.

Laura Chen (b. 1997) obtained a MA Photography Arts from the University of Westminster London (Postgraduate Scholarship) and a BA Photography from Birmingham City University. Based in London, she works on autonomous projects and has also been nominated for the Harry Pennings Prize (2023) and FOAM talent (2022), and won the Lens Culture Summer Open Awards (2022) and British Journal of Photography Edition 365 (2021).

Read more about the nominees here:
Rabo Photographic Portrait Prize 2022 Wouter le Duc, Bonnita Postma, Robin de Puy, Eva Roefs and Prins de Vos.
Rabo Photographic Portrait Talent 2022 Laura Chen, Hossein Fardinfard and Sander Coers.

MARTIJN VAN DE GRIENDT

Winner Rabo Photographic Portrait Prize 2021

‘We see at a boy who is in-between adolescence and adulthood. Doubt and poise seem to alternate rapidly. His disposition, however, is self-aware and authentic. The setting, colour scheme and particularly the photographer’s informal approach, gives the photo its intimate quality.’ (From the jury report)

In this analogue photographed portrait of a young man named Luka, Van de Griendt tried to find the same intimacy and vulnerability he seeks when photographing a female muse.

Martijn van de Griendt (1970) was fourteen when he started photographing the world around him. He first completed his Journalism Studies before entering the Royal Academy of Arts. He has been working as a photographer for over 25 years. Young people are a common thread in his work. He won a Zilveren Camera award several times and in 2018/2019 he was given the annual commission from the Rijksmuseum: Document Nederland.

BRAM ENGELAAR

Winner Rabo Photographic Portrait Talent2021

It’s admirable how the photographer made a series about something abstract like a ‘feeling’ and how he managed to have his models express a certain level of melancholy, without this coming across as an acted emotion. Concentration and time are undeniably two elements which allowed the sitters and the photographer to achieve this.’ (From the jury report)

Bram Engelaar (1994) graduated from Hogeschool Utrecht in 2019 in Communication & Multimedia Design, after which he became an autodidact photographer. He does analog photography projects with a poetic visual language and people as a central theme. To deepen his conceptual skills, he is apprenticed to photographer Milan Gies.

Read more about the nominees 2021:
Rabo Photographic Portrait Prize: Frank Ruiter, Jouk Oosterhof, Martijn van de Griendt, Philippe Vogelenzang, Zahra Reijs.
Rabo Photographic Portrait Talent: Farren van Wyk, Bram Engelaar, Lara Verheijden.

Jury 2021
Verily Klaassen (Head of Art Affairs, Rabobank Netherlands) – Chairman
Sanne Donders (Winner Rabo Photographic Portrait Prize 2020)
Iris Kensmil (Visual artist)
Sybren Kuiper (Graphic designer)
Philippien Noordam (Senior Art Advisor/Curator at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Erik Vroons (Chief Editor GUP Magazine and freelance curator & writer)

SANNE DONDERS

Winner Rabo Photographic Portrait Prize 2020

Sanne Donders is the winner of the Rabo Photographic Portrait Prize 2020 with her portrait of artist Lukas Vonk (18). ‘This photo does not scream, but whisper. Slowly the image unfolds; we keep discovering things and it keeps giving us more detail. Photographed in the hallway of his school, this boy effortlessly transcends the unimaginative environment, those dull brick walls.’ (From the jury report)

Sanne Donders spontaneously made the portrait of Lukas Vonk (18), a visual artist from Geulle, South Limburg, as she was fascinated by his persona. ‘ I‘m glad that I was able to convey this through the photo and that the jury appreciates this portrait so much.’ says Donders.

Sanne Donders (1982) studied at the Royal Academy of Visual Arts. She mainly works as a portrait photographer on her own projects and commissioned by Het Algemeen Dagblad, Rabobank Kunstzone and the Doelen Magazine, for which she photographs artists. Her book About Everything that Looks Like Nothing was published mid-November 2020

COLETTE LUKASSEN

Winner Rabo Photographic Portrait Talent 2020

‘About Gijs who becomes Emma, or just is, but mainly about the relationship between the model and the photographer. All photos are loving, sensitive, honest and timeless. The gender story is in fact not the actual topic. They are just really good pictures of a girl and her friend.’ (From the jury report)

Colette Lukassen (1967) is a self-taught documentary and portrait photographer. Lukassen has been exhibiting since 2016 and has been nominated and selected for various prizes. In 2019 she was the overall winner of the National Geographic photo competition (NL and BE).

Jury 2020
Chair: Bart Rutten (Artistic Director Centraal Museum, Utrecht)
Verily Klaassen (Head of Art Affairs, Rabobank Netherlands)
Sybren Kuiper (Graphic designer)
Philippien Noordam (Senior Art Advisor/Curator at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Robin de Puy (Winner Rabo Photographic Portrait Prize 2019)

ROBIN DE PUY

Winner Rabo Photographic Portrait Prize 2019

Robin de Puy has been selected as the winner of the Rabo Photographic Portrait Prize 2019 with a portrait of writer/poet Remco Campert (1929). “The portrait celebrates life and the work of the writer/poet – it is a true tribute to Campert.” (From the jury report)

The jury, chaired by Wim van Sinderen (curator of the Fotomuseum Den Haag) compiled a long list of fifty-five portraits from nearly three hundred portraits. Five portraits were placed on the shortlist. The winner receives a cash prize of € 10,000, was announced on Wednesday, November 27, 2019.

Robin de Puy made a series of portraits of the Dutch poet and writer Remco Campert (1929) for Volkskrant Magazine. Campert was interviewed just before he turned 90. “Poetry keeps coming back, that’s the most important thing for me. Although I still really want to write a novel. But I am 90 years old, not everything succeeds [smiles] … I continue to fail to give up writing.”

Jury Wim van Sinderen (chair, curator of the Fotomuseum Den Haag); Bart Rutten (Creative director Centraal Museum, Utrecht); Koos Breukel (portrait photographer and curator); Philippien Noordam ( Head of Art Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs); Sabine Verschueren (art director); Sarah Mei Herman (winner Dutch Photographic Portrait Prize 2018) and Verily Klaassen (Head of the Rabobank Art Collection).

Shortlist Charlie de Keersmaecker, Robin de Puy, Barrie Hullegie, Frank Ruiter and Bastiaan Woudt.

ANNABEL VAN ROYEN

Winner Rabo Photographic Portrait Talent 2019

(Self) Portrait as a young gril © Annabel van Royen, 2019

The winner of the Rabo Photographic Portrait Talent 2019 is Annabel van Royen with the series “(Self) Portrait of a young girl”. “A series with a strong conceptual starting point, personally and literally on the skin of the models and the photographer.” (From the jury report)

Annabel van Royen (1993) is a multimedia artist and photographer based in Amsterdam. She graduated from the Gerrit Rietveld Academy of Photography and Visual Arts in 2019. She participated in various group exhibitions and won the “European Photography Award” in 2018.

The series consists of photographs of girls between the ages of 12 and 15 who wear the clothing that the artist from that period kept in her childhood. I went through a difficult period at that age, with many difficult changes in my environment (at home) and in myself. The series is a recreation of a self-portrait when I was young, and a portrait of young girls in general, showing how strong and – at the same time – vulnerable they can be.

Shortlist Yael Laroes; Maxi Pfeil; Annabel van Royen.

SARAH MEI HERMAN

Winner Rabo Photographic Portrait Prize 2018

The jury report on Sarah Mei Herman’s winning portrait:
‘In principle, a double portrait is complicated. Is it actually a portrait? After all, this is not about a single person. Your eyes constantly go from one to the other. Yet everything comes together in this picture. The photo is subdued, the timing is exceptional. It is clear that this picture is about the mutual relationship between the two people portrayed. The photo calls for an insight into the relationship between these people. The tension between both is palpable. The photographer also plays an emphatic role and squeezes, as it were, herself between them. This creates a triangle relationship in which everyone has taken their position. The father looks towards the camera, the photographer’s half-brother looks away. Ultimately, there was the photographer who observed and ruthlessly captured the situation. The light and the view that you are granted through the net curtain reinforce the confrontation. In a time of superficial scanning and quick judgment, this is a portrait that invites you to look closer.’

Jury Philippien Noordam (chair, Head of Art Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs); Bart Rutten (Creative director Centraal Museum, Utrecht); Jitske Schols (winner Dutch Photographic Portrait Prize 2016); Koos Breukel (portrait photographer and curator); Narda van ‘t Veer (Van Ravesteijn Gallery / UNIT) and Sabine Verschueren (art director).

Shortlist Sarah Mei Herman: Julian & Jonathan; Dana Lixenberg: Lil’ Kleine; Hellen van Meene: Sophie and Lola; Carla Kogelman: Benthe; Wouter le Duc; Marieke Polderman.

PEGGY KUIPER

Winner Rabo Photographic Portrait Talent 2018

The jury on the series of winner Peggy Kuiper:
‘(…) fresh, straightforward and convincing. It is clearly a pre-conceived composition that did not come about by chance. The colours, shapes and rhythm of the photos are carefully coordinated. This makes the series quite peppy. The strong graphic character of the photo is striking – it thus seems to move away from a traditional portrait. Peggy Kuiper has a graphic background, which explains a lot.’

Shortlist Peggy Kuiper; Vitautas Kumza; Colette Lukassen.

JITSKE SCHOLS

Winner Photographic Portrait Prize 2016

From the jury’s report: ‘In a short time, Jitske Schols has built an impressive body of work, for which she received international recognition. She has developed her own signature in her portraits. The winning portrait is part of Schols’s series of children who have a Dutch parent and a parent with a foreign nationality. Sora is a half-Moluccan girl. The viewer’s attention is drawn to her face, as this is the only part of the image that reflects the light. Her gaze is elusive, you cannot reach it, and therefore you keep looking. It is a timeless image; dark, but with just enough detail. The shape of the arms repeats the shape of the hair. This portrait is cinematic and mysterious.’

Jury Saskia Asser (curator Rijksmuseum and Huis Marseille, Amsterdam); Koos Breukel (portrait photographer and curator); Hedy van Erp (photo historian, author and curator); Philippien Noordam (Head of Art Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs); Sander Troelstra (winner Photographic Portrait Prize 2015); Narda van ‘t Veer (Van Ravesteijn Gallery / UNIT) and Sabine Verschueren (art director).

Shortlist Jitske Schols: Sora in Black; Frank Ruiter: Mirjam Rotenstreich; Blommers Schumm: Lily Standefer; Cigdem Yuksel: Mohammed Nokad; Robin de Puy: Randy.

SANDER TROELSTRA

Winner Photographic Portrait Prize 2015

From the jury’s report: ‘Troelstra is an inspired photographer with his own signature. His portrait of Ben Augustus is part of a series from which more than one was eligible for a nomination. The picture shows no false sentiments. We see a nice man, in his own world, but aware of his connection to the photographer. Life as it is – which is applicable to all of Troelstra’s work.’

Jury Koos Breukel, Rineke Dijkstra, Hedy van Erp, Philippien Noordam, Annaleen Louwes, Robin de Puy, Erik Schilp.

Shortlist Sander Troelstra: Ben Augustus; Carel van Hees: Brown Eyed Girl; Marinus Toorman: Luis Tavares; Jouk Oosterhof: André.

GERARD WESSEL

Winner Nationale Portetprijs 2014

From the jury’s report: ‘Gerard Wessel has been out of sight for ten years, but came back this year with a beautiful black and white portrait series. This prize also applies as an acknowledgment of his achievements in Dutch photography. ‘

Jury Wim van Sinderen, Theo Audenaerd, Erik Schilp, Koos Breukel, Narda van ‘t Veer.

Shortlist Gerard Wessel: Katja Schuurman; Mike Roelofs: Georgino Wijnaldum; Hans de Kort: Kadir van Lohuizen; Marc de Groot: Theo Hiddema; Robin de Puy: Herman de Vries.

ROBIN DE PUY

Winner Nationale Portretrijs 2013

From the jury’s report: ‘The fact that Robin de Puy has been nominated this year with two portraits proves that she is highly skilled in terms of portrait styles. Her portrait of Eva Jinek is brightly coloured, heavily styled and graphically decorative, whereas her winning portrait of An-Sofie Kesteleyn is in black and white: an emphatic, natural portrait of a fellow photographer who has been seriously ill. If a photographer is able to show two extremes of portraits at such high levels, then you may call yourself a versatile photographer. This, coupled with being highly prolific, creative and inventive, makes Robin de Puy the ultimate and perfect winner. ‘

Jury Wim van Sinderen, Theo Audenaerd, Koos Breukel, Erik Schilp, Narda van ‘t Veer.

Shortlist Robin de Puy: An-Sofie Kesteleyn; Linelle Deunk: Jan Hoet; Robin de Puy: Eva Jinek; Rahi Rezvani: Ronald de Boer; Lenny Oosterwijk: Tommy Wieringa.

STEPHAN VANFLETEREN

Winner Nationale Portretprijs 2012

From the jury’s report: ‘Stephan Vanfleteren gets under the skin of Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. A distinctive portrait of a distinctive man. Commissioned by Belgian newspaper De Morgen, Vanfleteren created a ‘sculpture’, a ‘bust of marble’. The jury members placed themselves in the position of the portraitist, who is eye-to-eye with a predator. The photographer is mesmerized by what he sees. That look, that ego, that turtleneck sweater; he kept searching until he captured this image. Vanfleteren wins on photo and on oeuvre’.

Jury Erik Schilp, Theo Audenaerd, Koos Breukel, Narda van ‘t Veer, Sabine Verschueren.

Shortlist Stephan Vanfleteren: Rem Koolhaas; Linelle Deunk: Jesse van Doorn; Mike Roelofs: Metje Blaak; Robin de Puy: Ruben van Schalm; Lukas Gobel: Remco Campert.

ANNALEEN LOUWES

Winner Nationale Portretprijs 2011

From the jury’s report: ‘With her portrait of Dees, Annaleen Louwes has put a crown on her impressive oeuvre. Reminiscent of a Dutch master’s painting, it holds an exceptional emotion, is beautiful in colour and thus the epitome of classical portrait art. With this portrait, Louwes – who does not always opt for beauty – approaches aesthetic perfection.’

Jury Narda van ‘t Veer, Theo Audenaerd, Hans Gremmen, Ernst Veen, Erik Schilp.

Shortlist Annaleen Louwes: Dees; Blommers-Schumm: Joff; Joost van den Broek: Jan Vertonghen; Ringel Goslinga: Reinbert de Leeuw; Danielle van Ark: Rem Koolhaas.

KOOS BREUKEL

Winner Nationale Portretprijs 2010

From the jury’s report: ‘Portraying is communicating, and that’s exactly what Breukel does in all his portraits. In this portrait, too, he shows his curiosity as well as his sharp analytical ability. Breukel himself speaks of a homage to life. His portraits are precise and serious, penetrating into the soul of both the sitter and the viewer.’

Jury Pauline Kruseman, Theo Audenaerd, Els Barents, Narda van ‘t Veer, Sabine Verschueren.

Shortlist Koos Breukel: Mees; Joost van den Broek: Ronald Plasterk; Wendelien Daan: Sylvie van der Vaart; Willeke Duijvekam: Feline; Inez van Lamsweerde en Vinood Matadin: Marcel Musters.