Erik Hijweege
Erik Hijweege (1963) is fascinated with the overwhelming power of nature. He started chasing big weather and tornadoes in 2006. During his first years of stormchasing Hijweege chose an alter ego for this body of work in the making. Kevin Erskine a farmer from Valentine Nebraska was born. This resulted for Erskine (a.k.a Hijweege) in his first international solo show in New York and the Supercell book. Sequel to Supercell is his Sublime nature project. In this series he combines the forces of nature with the insignificance of man. Towering motherships over small cities, strangling trees around ancient temples show the grandeur of nature and the vulnerability of mankind. Following his 19th century inspired longing for remote places and distant shores he travels the world working on his long-term project Uncharted Territories. Capturing landscapes on tintype, he shows us the world seen through the eyes of explorers like Dr. David Livingstone. The multiple threats of our natural surroundings triggered Hijweege to start a second line in his work focussing on endangered species. Based on the Red List of the IUCN he photographed 23 endangered animals preserved in ice. Being a fragile subject matter Hijweege used the 19th century wetplate collodion process to capture these frozen animals on ambrotype. His Endangered series was exhibited at the Dutch Natural History Museum in Rotterdam raising awareness for this important matter. The Endangered book was published in 2014. Monographs * Noir, Uitgeverij de Verbeelding, 2004 * Supercell, Hatje Cantz, 2011 * Holland, Uitgeverij de Kunst, 2012 * Endangered, Ella Editions, 2014 Solo exhibitions May - June 2017 : Comenius Museum, Naarden, Holland March - May 2016 : Eduard Planting Gallery, Amsterdam, Holland May - June 2015 Photo festival Naarden, Holland December 2014 - March 2015 Natuurhistorisch Museum Rotterdam, Holland April - May 2014 : Amstel Gallery at Intercontinental Hotel Amstel December - February 2014 : Gallery Patries van Dorst, Wassenaar, Holland August - September 2013 : Gallery for Classic Photography, Moscow, Russia July - September 2013 : Broerenkerk, Zwolle, Holland April - May 2013 : Witzenhausen Gallery, Amsterdam, Holland November 2012: Witzenhausen Gallery, Amsterdam, Holland March 2012: Milk Gallery, New York, USA October 2011: Witzenhausen Gallery, Amsterdam, Holland December 2009 - January 2010 : Parkhotel, Amsterdam, Holland 2009 : SNS Bank, Utrecht and Alkmaar, Holland May - June 2005 : Naarder Fotofestival, Naarden, Holland December 2004 : Museum Oude Kerk, Amsterdam Holland May 2000 : Fotogram Gallery, Amsterdam, Holland