Een bijzondere vriendschap – a particular friendship

As a queer woman, I find it disheartening that there are fewer historical stories about the love between two women compared to that of two men. There were a fair number of risks and restrictions to consider for two women to be together when you look back at history. The autonomy of women was extremely limited compared to that of men. As a result, the convents and nunneries were one of the few places that were female dominated and where some of these stories began.

Through my photographic triptych I want to shine a light on these ‘unknown’ stories. I add an extra tactile layer to my photographic works by combining Catholic iconography with embroidery. In my practice I use this — what is often still seen as an ‘old lady hobby’ — to expose social issues and to open up the discussion on taboos.