‘THE PHOTOGRAPHER IS AN EAGER OBSERVER AND NOTHING SEEMS TO ESCAPE HIS ATTENTION. ZOOMING IN OR OUT OF ELI DIJKERS’S WORK WILL REVEAL A KIND OF VISUAL POETRY OF LIGHT AND LIFE, OF PAST AND PRESENT’ KUNSTHAL (MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, ROTTERDAM, NL)
STATEMENT
Capturing the Poetic in the Everyday
I navigate the intricate space between journalistic accuracy and poetic nuance, revealing the inherent beauty in the mundane. Through my lens, I aim to evoke emotions similar to a poignant piece of music, touching the soul before the mind. My black and white compositions are invitations to the senses, each frame designed to intrigue and resonate deeply. In this dance of light and shadow, I present humanity as I experience it, urging viewers to find their own narratives within. Photography, for me, is more than a medium; it's a bridge, connecting emotions with the intricate tapestry of daily life.
RESUME
Renowned Photographer and Academic
Eli Dijkers, born in 1978, is a globally recognized photographer based in the Netherlands. With an academic background that includes a Ph.D. in Pharmacy, Nuclear Medicine, and Oncology, Eli seamlessly transitioned to the world of photography, carving a niche for himself with his distinctive visual narratives.
Education
In 2012, Eli proudly graduated from the Fotoacademie in Rotterdam. His graduation project, Temporal Existence, offers an intimate portrayal of Rotterdam's urban landscapes and inhabitants. Soon after, Eli was chosen as one of 12 photographers to document the ever-evolving city of Rotterdam. Eli has participated in workshops by Jacob Aue Sobol (Magnum Photos), Carl De Keyzer (Magnum Photos), Michael Ackerman, Anders Petersen, Denis Darzacq and Mark Power (Magnum Photos).
Awards and Recognitions
Eli's skills behind the lens haven't gone unnoticed:
Multiple Honourable Mentions at the Black & White Spider Awards
Commended Photographer at the Sony World Photography Awards
Several accolades at the Monochrome Awards
Winner of the Porta Coeli Artist Residency Award at the XIth edition of the International Contemporary Art Biennale of Florence
Prestigiously titled as an Ilford MASTER in 2018, sharing this honor with the legendary Sebastião Salgado
Publications and Exhibitions
Eli's thought-provoking series, Enigma, captures the raw essence of daily life on India's streets and is beautifully encapsulated in his self-published book. In a subsequent exploration titled A Cloth in Time, Dutch photographer Eli Dijkers delves into the haunting stillness of his new neighborhood in Birmingham, England. Having relocated from his native Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Eli found himself in a world paused by the 2020 pandemic. Venturing within a one-kilometer radius from his residence, he chronicled desolate streets, luminous streetlights serving no purpose, and the rare passer-by, evoking an eerie sense of solitude. This poignant series, a blend of color and black-and-white imagery, becomes a visual diary of a year when 'lockdown' transformed from a term to a lived experience.
Recently, Eli self-published several books: Arms and a Man I Sing (on Italy), You will never believe these bizarre truth behind musical instruments (on India), For a variety of reasons, we don't allow nudity (nudes) and Ren Shang, Ren Hai (on China).
His body of work has been showcased at esteemed venues, including a solo exhibition at Deelen Art Gallery, curated by Sun Hee Engelstoft, and a six-month-long feature at de Kunsthal, Rotterdam's prime museum of contemporary art. His most recent collaboration with Moyi Art and the Dutch Embassy led to a spectacular exhibition on the Bund in Shanghai in 2021. Notably, his art has shared space with the timeless works of Henri Cartier-Bresson in Southern Italy, with the grand opening slated for the G20 summit.
Global Presence
Eli's photographs have graced galleries in several countries, including China, the USA, the UK, Italy, Greece, Denmark, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and France. He's currently affiliated with Moyi Art in China and Porta Coeli in Italy. Between 2013 and 2019, Eli was also represented by Gallery Deelen Art in The Netherlands.