"In my personal quest for my family history, I strive to create photographs that are not bound by time. Utilizing the essence of bygone eras, my aim is to make history tangible and recognizable in the present. Guided by tales of longing, sorrow, and concealed narratives, my work invites viewers on a journey through time, veiled in an aura of secrecy akin to a delicate temporal curtain. In a realm where women exude enigmatic allure, their closed or hidden eyes suggest the safeguarding of mysteries and the murmuring of tales from a forgotten past. Each photograph serves as a portal, beckoning the viewer into a personal odyssey, demanding the caress of imagination, the resonance of emotions, and perhaps a link to their own family history to unveil the untold narratives behind the images."
Ilona Langbroek
Ilona Langbroek NL, b. 1970
Ilona Langbroek’s personal series Silent Loss is based on her family’s history in the former Dutch East Indies. The Netherlands has a long history with the Dutch East Indies, which leave all kinds of traces that are reminiscent of the vast but also complex colonial past between these two countries. In fact, her work is about the lost identity of the large number of people who were forced to leave their country after the Independence and their emotions regarding this loss which are dormant but still very much alive.