Wen Roks First Interview
After starting a new season, RAW Streetphoto Gallery jumps into Dutch national stage to participate in the Maastricht Photo Festival. Looking forward to producing a duo exhibition that encouraged creative diversity, RAW chose Wen Roks and Kaspar Dejong; two Dutch artists with highly particular and exquisite artistic style.
What follows is the first segment of two interviews done with the artists Wen Roks and Kaspar Dejon. In brief, we are going to explore how the beginnings of Wen Roks became a meaningful component to her participation in the Maastricht Photo Festival. The interview, revolves around her two series exhibited in the Maastricht Photo Festival; titled ''Sixteen' and ‘Connect’.
What follows are the questions answered by Wen Roks.
RAW Streetphoto Gallery: What’s your background? How did you end up as a photographer?
Wen Roks: As long as I can remember I loved to take pictures. As a child, I had an old analog camera that once belonged to my grandfather. Although I studied law, photography always had my interest. When I moved to France some years ago, photography became a bigger part of my life and resulted in the most important part of it!
RAW Streetphoto Gallery: If you could give a piece of advice to your younger self, what would you say?
Wen Roks: Listen to your inner voice!
RAW Streetphoto Gallery: Which do you consider your biggest achievement as a photographer?
Wen Roks: To make my models feel comfortable before my lens so they can show me themselves.
RAW Streetphoto Gallery: In an industry where large amounts of audiences consume digitally, what impact do you believe that physical exhibitions play?
Wen Roks: When you are in front of a piece of art, you can see, feel and even smell it. That s impossible looking at it digitally.
RAW Streetphoto Gallery: What role does the Maastricht Photo Festival play on your journey as a photographer?
Wen Roks: Maastricht is home for me, I lived there, studied and worked in this lovely city. Coming back with an exhibition and showing my work as a photographer is a great and important event for me.
RAW Streetphoto Gallery: Do you consider that festivals exhibitions influence your own work?
Wen Roks: It doesn't influence my work, but it can influence future steps. Meeting other great artists and people who are interested in your work is very interesting to me.
RAW Streetphoto Gallery: How does the Maastricht Photo Festival compare or contrast to other festivals that you have exhibited in?
Wen Roks: At Rencontres d'Arles, the photo festival in the south of France was a book launch, Fresh Eyes with some of my works in collaboration with other photographers. This is my first festival where my work is shown in a gallery, unfortunately, I can't compare at this moment.
