Paul Kooiker The Netherlands, b. 1964

As a visual artist using photography as his medium, Paul Kooiker’s (°1964. Rotterdam, NL)  work is known for its typical signature and character. His work is layered and varied; his photos are visually appealing, open, timeless, without being bland. As a result, he has become a much sought-after creator of iconic images. Kooiker creates an enigmatic kind of beauty that is never superficial, but rather Freudian in the way it plays with dark desires, fetishes and subconscious dreams. He never shies away from any subject or approach. Disconnected from time and place, and transcending classic gender roles, his surreal images feel like film stills of stories we can only imagine. The practice of Paul Kooiker is characterized by a conceptual and experimental approach to photography. For the past five years he created works that flirt with the boundary between commerce and art - the division between his fashion photography and autonomous works is almost impossible to distinguish.