Having picked up a camera at the age of 8, I discovered the magic of taking photographs long before I realized that that being an observer is the role that suits me best. If it weren't already, that role has become second nature.

Being blessed (or cursed) with an eye and mind that always see the details before they see the whole, my camera has effectively became a tool that helps me to understand what I am seeing; a tool that sometimes uncovers relations that weren't so obvious at first sight -- but that may well have unconsciously triggered me to take a picture. The very act of recording provides me with an opportunity for reflection; like the act of writing does for the writer.

Having spent most of my life in Holland, I moved to Taiwan a little less than 4 years ago. Exploring Asia, I found I have to re-invent my photography. This is an ongoing process, which I doubt will come to an end within the foreseeable future. It's a quest for understanding: how do people manage to live, to survive in the (urban) wilderness that surrounds them. What gives them the power and the courage to move forward -- and sometimes even this: what makes them enjoy doing so.