Young Afrikaner
Afrikaner, or Afrikaner, is the self-name of the inhabitants of South Africa of Dutch origin. In his Young Afrikaner project, photographer Rolof Petrus van Wyck depicts these young people in front of a black background, without make-up or clothes, as if to not distract the viewer from their cultural heritage, origins and appearance. These people have European roots, but Africa has long been their home. They seem to live in two worlds with different cultures, politics, heritage and traditions.
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1. These people were born and live in Africa, their generations went through apartheid, and they themselves are learning to live in a new world for themselves, while not forgetting their roots.
2. This project is a collective portrait of Afrikaners who are increasingly aware of what it is like to be a South African. They seem to be learning to be Africans - not victims, not Europeans, not guilty, not emigrants - real Africans.
3. The photographer says that the people he selected for the project are mostly his friends, because shooting friends is always more interesting and easier, because you feel their emotions, soaked in their stories.
4. The photographer explains his choice of a black background as follows: “It is important to understand that the black background is space, not a flat wall. You need to look through it to see the history and cultural heritage of these people. I was inspired by Dutch artists like Rembrandt, who was always hyper-realistic."
5. “These people are young, gifted, black and white and colorful. They are passionate, creative, smart and funny. They live in this moment."
6. With this project, the photographer wanted to show that all these people are different, individual, but all of them are united by origin, traditions and place of residence.
7. In his next project, Rolof Petrus van Wyk plans to film people with the last name van Wyk to show how different they are. The project will be called "Family Album".
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Keywords: Heritage | The Netherlands | Studio photos | Photo portraits | South Africa