Family Is Something You Can Choose is a photo series created for the HKU admission procedure.
According to the Dutch dictionary Van Dale Dictionary, the definition of family is quite straightforward: a blood relative. Yet that definition was not the first thing that came to mind when I tried to describe what family means to me. In the stage of life I am currently in (20–30), so much revolves around finding your own family. By moving out and finding your own path, you initially distance yourself from the people you grew up with, searching for new people with whom you want to identify. By falling in love, making friends, and creating a new life, you choose every day who you want to surround yourself with.
The cliché quote, “you can’t choose your family,” is something I would like to challenge with this idea. I believe that over the years, you actually do have quite a lot of choice.
In this shoot, I photographed three of my friends in wedding dresses: Anna as Dutch, Margot as French, and Mira as German. All of us moved to Amsterdam without knowing anyone here and without knowing what it would be like. While some of us can return to our families more easily than others, we all have one thing in common: each other.
By being there for one another in joyful moments, but also during difficult times, we feel at home here. The wedding dresses symbolize the loyalty we feel toward each other and the choice we make for one another—the long-lasting bond we want to commit to.
Photographed: Anna, Margot, Mira
Location: Amsterdam
Period: January 2024