Cara Louwman Photography

In her photography, collages and assemblages Cara Louwman (The Netherlands, 1967) depicts memories and (family) history. With cabinets of curiosities as a recurring source of inspiration. Past and future meet in the present. Reasoning from the here and now, Cara reflects on where it all started. Cara makes the invisible visible and is transforming the past and future into a lived presence.

“We are the sum of our experiences uniquely defined by our memories. Sometimes a simple object can summup the recollection. We spend a lifetime gathering a collection of treasured objects and symbols. Each of them holding a tiny fragment of our identity.”

Playing with light and dark, Cara creates artistic scenes. An important element of Cara’s work is her use of multiple layers, both literally and figuratively.

In July 2017,  she graduated from the University of Applied Photography (Fotovakschool). Subsequently, she participated in a one-year BredaPhoto MasterClass Course by photographer Jan Rosseel. Followed by the post academic programs ‘Photobook’ and ‘Story development and impact’ at the Fotoacademie.

In 2020 she won the prestigious Siena Creative Photo Award for her series Rooting. In that same year, she was Book Photographer of the Year with her book Rooting at the Moscow International Photo Awards. In 2019, she won the first prize for her series Wonder Room at the Tokyo International Foto Awards and her work was selected for Gup New Photography Talent.

Since the start of her career Louwman merited exhibitions in various galeries and museums, including Frauen Museum Wiesbaden (2023), Galerie de Ploegh (2021-2023), Galerie Joseph le Marais in Paris (2019), Anima Mundi Festival during Venice Art Biennale (2019), BredaPhoto Festival  (2018),  ZomerExpo in Museum de Fundatie (2017), Kamp Amersfoort (2015-2020) and Alliance Francaise Gurgaon in India (2014).

Her book Rooting is included in the collections of the Rijksmuseum, Nederlands Fotomuseum and Royal Library.