Netherlands - August 2023
This summer, when visiting my home country of the Netherlands, I visited my elderly grandparents. Their home, to me, is a true time capsule and it intrinsically represents my grandparents. Recognising their furniture, English fine china that is now seldomly used yet cherished, and hand embroided decorations from when I visited as a young child. They have lived in this flat for 60+ years and my mother grew up here with her three brothers. A packed and noisy house undoubtedly back then, now a quiet place where time seems to stand still. Taking it slow since 1989, when my grandfather received early retirement after the end of the Cold War and his role in the Dutch military had become redundant.
Being aware this would be my last visit while my grandfather was still alive, I wanted to capture this time capsule before it would disappear for ever. Capturing and safe guarding my childhood memories, my mother’s childhood home and my grandparents almost life-long home. A week after I took these photos my grandfather passed away after a long and loved life, leaving my grandmother in a space that was once so bustling with life.
