In this series, I explore the perspectives shaped by growing up in different neighborhoods across Amsterdam.
For each story, I immerse myself in someone’s life, experiences, and environment to understand how their neighborhood has influenced their identity, values, and outlook on life.
Every neighborhood shapes the people who live there in its own way, influencing how they see the world and how the world sees them.
With Amsterdam Raised, I want to share these stories in a way that feels honest and open, allowing people to connect with them in their own way.
In the first chapter, SEEK, I follow Soedarno, who grew up in the H-buurt of Amsterdam Zuidoost (Bijlmer). My mother’s family also grew up here in the 1970s, making this place personally meaningful to me.
Soedarno welcomed me into his life and took me through the neighborhood from his perspective. The Bijlmer has a well-known reputation and is often portrayed through negative stereotypes. Through this project, I want to challenge that image.
In the stories of my family, in Soedarno’s experiences, and in the neighborhood itself, I found signs of love, culture, resilience, and community. I discovered a place where people look after one another, where different cultures come together, and where authenticity matters more than judgment.
SEEK is an invitation to look beyond assumptions and discover the Bijlmer through the eyes of the people who call it home.
For each story, I immerse myself in someone’s life, experiences, and environment to understand how their neighborhood has influenced their identity, values, and outlook on life.
Every neighborhood shapes the people who live there in its own way, influencing how they see the world and how the world sees them.
With Amsterdam Raised, I want to share these stories in a way that feels honest and open, allowing people to connect with them in their own way.
In the first chapter, SEEK, I follow Soedarno, who grew up in the H-buurt of Amsterdam Zuidoost (Bijlmer). My mother’s family also grew up here in the 1970s, making this place personally meaningful to me.
Soedarno welcomed me into his life and took me through the neighborhood from his perspective. The Bijlmer has a well-known reputation and is often portrayed through negative stereotypes. Through this project, I want to challenge that image.
In the stories of my family, in Soedarno’s experiences, and in the neighborhood itself, I found signs of love, culture, resilience, and community. I discovered a place where people look after one another, where different cultures come together, and where authenticity matters more than judgment.
SEEK is an invitation to look beyond assumptions and discover the Bijlmer through the eyes of the people who call it home.
