Lieke Zweekhorst (b. 1993) is an autonomous contemporary photographer, based in Delft, The Netherlands. She is one of the Open Call for Exhibition Proposals winners, physically exhibiting her work and winning series at Elliott Gallery, later this summer.
In her work, Lieke reflects on the emotional connection between her and the subjects and she observes the world around her with genuine interest and involvement. Her photography combines portraits with stills inspired by a theme or narrative.
In anticipation of Lieke’s upcoming exhibition at Elliott Gallery, we had the pleasure of speaking with her. In the interview, she discusses her inspirations and the story behind her winning series, A Man and His Horse, created in Gambia.
What is your background in Photography?
I was a social worker and mostly worked in social health care. Photography was always a hobby and something I experimented with; I mostly photographed myself as a subject, and the surroundings I lived in.
After I realised social work was not really my thing, I studied Photographic Design at the Fotovakschool, in Amsterdam. Since graduating, I spend as much time as possible ‘in photography’.
How did you find out about the Open Call and what made you submit your proposal?
I found out about it via a post on Instagram. I am not sure if it was a post from the Elliott Gallery or David van Dartel.
I hesitated to participate, as I have applied for a couple of Open Calls but never been selected. This time, my boyfriend actually convinced me to just go for it! You never know where it will take you – and to get somewhere, you have to keep trying.
What inspired the series that you submitted, and can you share the story or meaning behind your series?
This series was made in Gambia. It was created after I saw a man swimming in the sea with a horse, and this surreal scene made me very curious about their relationship. So, I waited until he came out of the sea and struck up a conversation. His name was Roony (Haroona) and he told me about his horse, Marischa, and invited me to come over to the stables. He showed me how they live together there with other men and horses. He sleeps in a tent next to her stable, and every day they go out and offer rides to tourists to earn money.
This series explores the connection between a man and his horse in a poetic way, in which I have tried to portray the essence of trust and mutual respect.
It is important that this series is not about having to hustle every day, experiencing poverty or the poor conditions in the country. These topics do matter to me, of course, but they are peripheral in this series. I want to show a universal picture, capturing the feeling I experienced when I saw them together.
Do you have a favourite photograph in the series?
Yes, the one of both Roony and Marischa’s feet. I love that the position of their feet is exactly the same, but mirrored.
How do you feel being exhibited in Elliott Gallery will impact your career and artistic journey?
I’m super excited and honoured to exhibit at the Elliot Gallery. I'm still at the beginning of my photography career and didn't expect I would already be collaborating with a gallery and to have my work exhibited. I find this really special.
I think it will certainly help me progress my career and build an inspiring network, hopefully giving me the opportunity to work on photography projects. It is great that the Elliott Gallery helps me in the whole process of exhibiting, because I can learn a lot from them. I am very curious about what it will bring me and am really looking forward to it.
Are there any particular artists or photographers whose work inspires you?
Rineke Dijkstra and Alec Soth are great. I find their portraits of everyday people and their surroundings very inspiring.
What are your future goals as a photographer?
In the future I hope to show my work to people through galleries or in a book. I would like to inspire people with my work, perhaps making them look differently at the subjects I photograph. For now, I'm just really looking forward to working on photography projects and improving my photography.
