make a point of being present at the art fairs where my work is shown. This past March, I exhibited at Art Rotterdam, where I met many new people. For me as an artist, that is valuable, understanding who feels drawn to the work. People who are looking now may become collectors later. It is often said that a work needs to be seen on average eleven times before someone decides to acquire it. Sometimes that takes years. Each time, I still find it special when that choice falls on my work. During fair days, I am often there in person to give context or share my portfolio. These moments regularly lead to engaging and meaningful conversations.

At the end of May, there is another wonderful opportunity to meet, during Art Island on the Forteiland in IJmuiden (The Netherlands). It is not a fair you simply drop into. The crossing alone makes it feel like a true getaway. On the island, art, sea, and history come together, and you move from bunker to open space, encountering work that continues to surprise. Art Island takes place from May 22 to May 24, 2026. You are very welcome to attend. Tickets are available here

A work from the series The Hague Coast, ‘Surfer School’, has been included in the collection of Fotomuseum Den Haag. For the museum this is of great value. Although the work was not part of my solo exhibition ‘Eiland’ (2021) at the Fotomuseum, it forms a lasting reminder of this project.

The fact that the photograph was made in Scheveningen, at such a significant location for the city of The Hague, makes it especially meaningful. The museum holds an extensive collection of works by artists of the Hague School, and within that context, this photograph serves as a contemporary reference to the many seascapes within that part of the collection.

For my series The Hague Coast, I photographed a triptych of the Surfing Santas in December last year. This series will eventually be exhibited at Museum Panorama Mesdag, where my work will enter into dialogue with paintings by artists of the Hague School.

The phenomenon of Surfin’ Santas originates from the United States and Australia. At Cocoa Beach in Florida and Bondi Beach in Australia, this annual event has existed for much longer, often under very different temperature conditions than those in the Netherlands. In The Hague, on the beach of Scheveningen, several hundred Santas once again entered the sea at the same time, each with a surfboard. Surfers dressed as Santa Claus all head into the cold waves together. It is somewhat reminiscent of the New Year’s Dive, but with a very different character. It is not about perfect surf conditions, but about tradition.