Since being adopted from Thailand and growing up in the Netherlands, I often wonder where I come from; where I feel at home and which culture I feel connected with.
I am a Dutch photographer and graduated from the Royal Art Academy The Hague in 2013. Since then I have been making photo books and exhibiting widely. My photographic children book ‘De olifant die niet wist of hij verdwaald was’ was published by Uitgeverij Leopold in the summer of 2016. One day I found a plastic baby elephant in a garden and I start taking pictures with it. This was the beginning of the journey of a little baby elephant through the Netherlands; through the seasons in search of its, and indeed my, roots.
During my stay at the Expatriate Archive Center I am researching the feeling of ‘home’. As a result of being adopted, I feel out of place and small objects like exotic fruits, smells and colours remind me of Thailand. For this project I will go in search of those small connections and wonder if expats experience the same feelings. What reminds you of home? From nostalgia and memory to domestic objects or common traditions, I will research what reminds someone of their origin.
Therefore, as a starting point, I will conduct interviews with expats who donated a collection to the archive to see what reminds them of home.
My work has been exhibited at the KK Outlet (KesselsKramer London), Galerie Helder, Unseen Photo Festival and Photo Town by Felix&Foam. I do commission work for KesselsKramer, the Government of The Hague and Kenniscentrum Cultuur educatie Rotterdam and Ordinary Magazine. My work was published in de Volkskrant magazine, Eigen Huis & Interieur Magazine and Ordinary Magazine. I also teach photography and art at het Nederlands Fotomuseum and Museum Meermanno – Huis voor het boek.
In this blog post I will add photographic work from previous projects I did concerning the feeling of home.
See all projects: www.thomasnondh.nl