Oxiea Villamonte
Nguyen Thanh Hue
Oxiea:
"I am Oxiea, I graduated in September 2020 with my Master's in Photography at The Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp.
"I am Oxiea, I graduated in September 2020 with my Master's in Photography at The Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp.
I was born in Chicago, Illinois in the USA. Shortly after I was born my parents decided to move to Amsterdam in Europe because they thought it would be a better place to raise a child.
Now after living in Antwerp during my studies for five years I am back in Amsterdam. I am participating in an artist residency together with artists from two other art academies: The Gerrit Rietveld Academie and La-Cambre.
For my Master graduation work I made a book titled: Next of Kin. The meaning of Next of Kin is your closest living relative. In my case my Next of Kin is my mother. Here a short paragraph of a text that I wrote about my project:
“Next of Kin tells my story through three different generations of women. It’s not a linear one, neither a chronological one, it is an intertwining story where the past and the present try to connect with each other as well as disconnect. My identity is deeply influenced by my mother and how she raised me. When looking in a mirror I see my mother staring back at me. While embracing these similarities, there still runs a fear through me of repeating similar choices. This path of finding my own identity has led me to Chicago, the place where I was born”.
Now after living in Antwerp during my studies for five years I am back in Amsterdam. I am participating in an artist residency together with artists from two other art academies: The Gerrit Rietveld Academie and La-Cambre.
For my Master graduation work I made a book titled: Next of Kin. The meaning of Next of Kin is your closest living relative. In my case my Next of Kin is my mother. Here a short paragraph of a text that I wrote about my project:
“Next of Kin tells my story through three different generations of women. It’s not a linear one, neither a chronological one, it is an intertwining story where the past and the present try to connect with each other as well as disconnect. My identity is deeply influenced by my mother and how she raised me. When looking in a mirror I see my mother staring back at me. While embracing these similarities, there still runs a fear through me of repeating similar choices. This path of finding my own identity has led me to Chicago, the place where I was born”.
"For this assignment about: FAMILY I will start by interviewing my mother. I have prepared a list of questions about her childhood/adolescence and my childhood. I will record this conversation and this will be my starting point for this week's assignment.
My family consists of my mother and me. My mother raised me as a single mother and our bond is extremely close. We have no other blood related family here in Amsterdam therefore some of our friends are like family. Our own chosen family.
My father passed away when I was nine years old and he left me with a lot of questions about him. He is a bit of a mystery to me. I know him through images and objects that he left behind and stories that people who knew him share with me.
In my practice as a photographer my archive and my parents archive is a working tool for me. I have a lot of questions about the past. I see things repeating themselves and in order to take control of my density, I return to my roots and my parents roots."
My family consists of my mother and me. My mother raised me as a single mother and our bond is extremely close. We have no other blood related family here in Amsterdam therefore some of our friends are like family. Our own chosen family.
My father passed away when I was nine years old and he left me with a lot of questions about him. He is a bit of a mystery to me. I know him through images and objects that he left behind and stories that people who knew him share with me.
In my practice as a photographer my archive and my parents archive is a working tool for me. I have a lot of questions about the past. I see things repeating themselves and in order to take control of my density, I return to my roots and my parents roots."
Hue:
"It's nice to see your work and know more about you.
"It's nice to see your work and know more about you.
I was born and raised in Hanoi, Vietnam. I currently working as a contributing photojournalist for foreign media.
I graduated from the Academy of Journalism and Communication majoring with a BFA in Photojournalism in June 2019. My focus is documentary photography and human-centered issues, specifically private living spaces.
I started taking photos the summer after my first year in college. Before that, I paid little attention to what happened outside my hub in this city. The camera gave me an excuse to step out of my comfort zone, experience the world and get to know myself better.
For my graduation project, I chose to pursue the topic of migrant workers, which has been well covered for the past years. Yet curious about the life of the people whose backgrounds differ greatly from mine, I persisted in seeing for myself. I focused on groups that spontaneously migrate and are currently living in residential areas in Hanoi."
I graduated from the Academy of Journalism and Communication majoring with a BFA in Photojournalism in June 2019. My focus is documentary photography and human-centered issues, specifically private living spaces.
I started taking photos the summer after my first year in college. Before that, I paid little attention to what happened outside my hub in this city. The camera gave me an excuse to step out of my comfort zone, experience the world and get to know myself better.
For my graduation project, I chose to pursue the topic of migrant workers, which has been well covered for the past years. Yet curious about the life of the people whose backgrounds differ greatly from mine, I persisted in seeing for myself. I focused on groups that spontaneously migrate and are currently living in residential areas in Hanoi."
"I hope you're doing well.
It's really nice to hear the story of you and your family, thank you for sharing with me. I think it's a good idea when we do photographs of our own family.
A relationship that lasts your entire life. That’s Family."
It's really nice to hear the story of you and your family, thank you for sharing with me. I think it's a good idea when we do photographs of our own family.
A relationship that lasts your entire life. That’s Family."
"Nan Goldin once said: “I used to think that I could never lose anyone if I photographed them enough. In fact, my pictures show me how much I’ve lost.”
Sad but true, these words actually hit me so hard.
Then, in 2018, I started taking photos of my grandma who lives with my family. I lived with her since I was a child till I studied 4 grade, we move to live together with my parent.
When I realized her body had greatly degenerated so she could not take care of herself, all daily activities like eating and wash-up required help from others. And I know I will lose her one day. I could not take that for granted anymore.
But for this assignment, I will do not photograph my own family but another family.
I have been done a project about single mothers living together in the shelter called Flying Petals since last year.
From different provinces throughout Vietnam, they find shelters in the city–a place of refuge for single mothers or unwanted pregnancies. In this project, I photograph in a shelter that is run by a single mother who provides free accommodation and jobs for single mothers in difficult circumstances. They content with co-living and share empathy from those who are all “in the same boat” when they have nowhere to go.
I will take a photo of their dinner for this assignment. For me, the dinner is meaningful and important."
Sad but true, these words actually hit me so hard.
Then, in 2018, I started taking photos of my grandma who lives with my family. I lived with her since I was a child till I studied 4 grade, we move to live together with my parent.
When I realized her body had greatly degenerated so she could not take care of herself, all daily activities like eating and wash-up required help from others. And I know I will lose her one day. I could not take that for granted anymore.
But for this assignment, I will do not photograph my own family but another family.
I have been done a project about single mothers living together in the shelter called Flying Petals since last year.
From different provinces throughout Vietnam, they find shelters in the city–a place of refuge for single mothers or unwanted pregnancies. In this project, I photograph in a shelter that is run by a single mother who provides free accommodation and jobs for single mothers in difficult circumstances. They content with co-living and share empathy from those who are all “in the same boat” when they have nowhere to go.
I will take a photo of their dinner for this assignment. For me, the dinner is meaningful and important."