Foam presents Meet the Artist, an exhibition that offers a special insight into the life and career of one of the Netherlands’ leading portrait photographers: Koos Breukel. This exhibition not only offers an overview of his impressive oeuvre, but also invites visitors to meet the artist himself and engage in conversation with him. In a specially equipped photo studio within the exhibition, there is even the possibility to be photographed by Breukel himself.
The exhibition features mostly artist portraits that represent a cross-section of Breukel’s career, from 1982 to the present. His photographs are known for their ability to capture the everyday and the coincidental, with attention to vulnerability and authenticity. His portraits are often shot with analogue cameras and have a timeless and pure appearance. Thanks to Breukel’s empathetic approach and the creation of an atmosphere of mutual trust, his subjects dare to be vulnerable, which is reflected in the photos.
Meet the Artist highlights the people who have played an important role in Breukel’s development as a photographer and person. Portraits of influential figures such as Robert Frank, Ata Kandó, Ed van der Elsken, and Marlene Dumas, show his sources of inspiration and the people who shaped him.