Discos Horizontes is flying to Lowlands!

My photographs published in 'De Volkskrant'

I stayed in a prison colony with no walls to document daily life. Only in Palawan, Philippines.

Currently working on my writings and selections. Hopefully this special story will spread out soon..

Western vs Eastern health systems.

In the Western World you will visit a doctor when you are in pain. Most likely he will give you tablets to fight the pain. The patient is pain free so the doctor done his job well.
Tablets or so called prescription drugs won’t solve the cause of the underlying problem of the pain. Neither does the doctor. He doesn’t has time for that with all these patients coming in every day.
There is always patients in the waiting room. No matter what time you go.
So we take tablets and maybe even take other tablets to fight the side effects of the tablets you been taken in the first place. In the meantime the real problem isn’t solved, not even looked at while your body becomes more and more toxic.
Add up the processed food what we eat. Who is baking their own apple pie these days while you can buy one for a couple euro’s? It still can look authentic while its produced in a factory. Smart marketing will take care of that job.

Conclusion;
We became toxic human beings. While we are natural human beings. That's how we started though, as newborns we are super sensible species, everything what you eat or drink had to be pure and natural otherwise you will get allergic reactions.
Unless your mother was a drug addict or alcoholic.
But think of it; why we don’t give paracetamol to babies? Cause that is strait up poison. As adults we take them for every little pain we feel. Just an exception reacts on it by an allergy but we most likely evolved our natural system what got used to toxics more and more.
When you have lots of toxins in the body, your body goes out of balance and your immune system is weakened. 
Years and years of this and you are surprised to get cancer?
What you going to fight with more poison.
All the thing we put in our body trough our mouth, our nose, our eyes, our ears and skin should be as close to as nature intented as possible. So you can throw away all your cosmetic products incl sun cream. The sun wont make you sick, the chemicals you put on your skin 'to protect' do.
Have a look in your kitchen as well. All what is man made, processed food you can dump. It only includes a lot off chemicals and artificial flavors what makes you more hungry, fat or addicted to the food. So you buy more. The circle becomes round of what I want to say; it's all about the money.

Lately I had some insights I would like to share with you.
As long as I remember I had a big bunion on the side of my feet. They became bigger trough the years and because of the pressure of the bunion the toes are not straight but growing in a wrong direction. The whole body adjust so it grows askew so back and neck pain comes because of that as a chain reaction.
After a couple years of suffering I have chosen foot surgery in the Western World. On both foot, one after the other. Where the orthopedist told me that it is genetic so that stopped the questioning of the cause. In the whole process of the surgery, before and afterwards I felt like ‘a customer’ and they where doing 'a routine job'. Very un personal, like I was one of the 100.000 others. And I'm sure I am not the only one who is dealing with this problem, but every person so every foot is different and I don’t think they keep that in mind so well.
So the role of the orthopedist in this case;
Make the patient pain free so chop of the bone.
The hospital and health insurance take their part of the pie since I lost my own risk. I need pain killers so the pharmaceutic industry can have a little bit as well. All these parties are helped with my case.
I'm I helped?
Not really cause after the surgery I ended up with complications, a wound that wouldn’t heal so that made me invalid after I came out of the plaster.
And where could I go for advice of healing? To the orthopedist? He did his job. He is done.
To my doctor? He would give me even more pain killers. I felt abandoned by our health system.
Very obvious that there is more effort in targeting prophet by several parties in this business then there is for increasing peoples health. I already knew but when this happens to you personal, when your daily life changed totally because you can't walk there is a big alarm going off inside believe me. It changed something in my mind that is essential; I need to take responsibility of my own health. Its in my hands to choose how to recover and with who I'll walk to path of recovery.
So I needed to dive into this case a little deeper to get some answers. At least for my peace of mind and a future where I want to be able to walk into.

I had a trip planned to the Eastern World. Just to give you an idea of my situation two months after surgery; by arrival in Bali a nice crew of two ladies pushed me out of the airplane in a wheelchair.
I arrived in a world where humans and nature life close to each other so I became more conscious about our Western way of  living and solving health problems.
By the help of my Dutch Indonesian friends I got in contact with a beautiful family  who where sent to me as angels. They introduced me to two traditional Balinese healers. Pak CeCok and Pak Jerou. In Bali if you are fated to heal people you are named 'Pak'.
They work mostly with the feet because everything in your body is connected with them. They increase the imuun systeem by starting up blood circulation trough a heavy foot massage.
I've been impressed by the results of the work of these two men. After 5 treatments (daily) I was back on my feet and could do a little jump. After 15 treatments I could walk without pain. Pak Jerou took care of my walking problem and Pak Cecok was helping with the back and neck problem.
They both work at home but Pak Jerou got a job during the day,  he is a rescue man. He does treatments after 7pm. Everyday except for holidays Pak CeCok gives treatments fulltime. Next to the physical part he can also solve mental problems. Balinese are very spiritual humans so they deal a lot with the spirits of their ancestors. They can be very annoying when they angry or upset and can have a deep influence in Balinese families in current time.
This might sound weird to you but its just a different world you might not know.
Again in western World you will receive tablets who mislead the brain by a chemical reaction. Is the problem solved?
No.
Side effects are included.
In The Netherlands 1 million people are on antidepressiva. The population is 17 million. Not a complicated calculation is needed to say this is shocking.
This is another subject though.

In the end - or is this the beginning?  I'm very grateful that I had all these experiences and lessons from humans who are more connected with nature. I got more connected with nature myself again. I grew up in nature and always feel incomplete in the city where I live since I moved out. on my 17th. Now I know why.
I see a lot op people lost in space and time in the urban areas, everywhere in the world. I always hope for them they connect back to nature someday. It will safe lives.
I gained a lot of knowledge about nature and the human body and I can use this to life a healthy life.
I share my story so you can see how systems are build up and work in Western World & Eastern World. A lot to think about, a lot of work to do.
Please parents, be conscious and feed and inform your children right. Take time to prepare your food and avoid processed food. The best is meat free - I call it karma free food and raw organic veggies & fruit.
If you want to know more about this subject I suggest you the book; 'Natural Cures "they" don't want you to know about written by Kevin Trudeau. 
I just found that in the kitchen of my guesthouse in Palawan, Philippines. Accidentally? I don't think so.

 








Pak CeCok at work.

Pak Jerou and my Indonesian family Sofia, Bayu & Diva.

Bali

Je lieve mensen
Je groene groen
Je smaken & geuren
Die de grijze dagen kleuren
De zweethete dagen
Plons ik weg in de zee
Je tijdloze klok tikt met de natuur mee
Zoals 't hoort voor ons soort
Je potten en pannen
Je plastic zakjes en geweven bakjes
Scheve karretjes vinden hun weg naar hongerige monden
Kromme tafelpoten houden het verse fruit
Rose huizen met zwarte ramen
Zitten zonder bankstel
Bossen dooie kippen aan de brommer
Of gewoon 1 boomstam horizontaal
Bali hanteert eenvoudige taal
Je tempels zonder drempels
Van bergtop tot vloed
Over alles een magische gloed
Je snoezige bloemetjes, koekjes en een wierookje op straat
Laten zien dat iedereen hier dankbaar door het leven gaat.


Terima kasih - As-Salaam-Alaikum

One of my specialities; portraits of cool people

Published in an independent Berlin guide
check

PechaKucha talk about Detroit

I gave a presentation about the current social and political circumstances in Detroit.
This was held during a PechaKucha event in the Temporary Art Centre of Eindhoven.

My photogallery is open.

I'm running this temporary photogallery from November until January. Please drop in for a coffee and a chat.
Keizersgracht 21 Eindhoven 12-18u Wednesday till Sunday

MY POP UP SHOP IS OPEN!

My two AK47 Families in the AK47 exhibition in Flipside

Both works are made in edition of one and SOLD!

Who I am What I do

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zkX-f9s2qs

Showing my work in TAC Eindhoven

Friday-Saturday 13-21u
Sunday 13-17u
TAC
Vonderweg 1
Eindhoven

I love my workspace.

 Studio ARTCORE Eindhoven.

AK47 vs ART

6 days left until July 12th to see my work at the AK47 exhibition in Artspace Flipside Eindhoven.

I design suits for fun. My Rotten Banana suit ended up in The Designhuis in Eindhoven.

more info about exhibition and artist Jim Ricks

so I pimped their furniture..

My roommate wiping of her mouth..

Vice published my work made in Detroit.

check

Change in progress...

Seun Kuti & Fela's Egypt 80 played at Concert of Colors in Detroit.

Really enjoyed the wild energy of this influential band founded by the famous Fela Kuti. The vibe of the band brings you in the jungle of Afrika or an political conflict in the streets of Nigeria. Seun jumps over the the stage and talks to the audience in a way I never experienced. Super beautiful authentic hard fulfilling FREE concert!

Epic performance at DIY Festival DETROIT

artist Tunde Olaniran

Custom made in the D

Former White Stripes mansion Detroit 2010-2014

Graffit Transform Detroit 2010-2014

You better run for your life Lois Lane!

work in progress...

Hide and seek.

In Detroit where I'm staying right now it does not feel comfortable to snap pictures on the street. People look weird at me and ask what the hell I'm doing?! Sometimes they come after me and follow me for a couple blocks. So I found myself a way to be discrete in taking my street pictures. I carry this crate with my camera and some other stuff around and act like I'm just carrying a crate right? When I see something I just take my time, always watch my surroundings but that should be common sense in Detroit and CLICK! got it. Hide camera in crate again and walk on.

The media has just a different point of view right?

You see two pictures of the same object. I took both pictures within 5 minutes. The left one will appear in the national or international press if the reports are about Detroit’s debt or postindustrial related subjects. The right one will appear in local press and will tell you about a new urban garden what just was funded by a city or state based fund.

If I tell people about Detroit in Europe they always go like; 'Oh but Detroit is like a ghost town right?' Are there people living right now?'  It’s not that strange that the majority of people out of Detroit have a total wrong vision of Detroit in his current state. It’s been fed by the media. The left picture brings more sad feelings above and the right one can make you happy because of the colors and the blooming plants give the picture a positive vibe. But unfortunately the role of the media in our lives is not purposed to make people happy I guess...

Celebrating Earth Day in the Lincoln Art Park Detroit

Traveling mattresses everywhere....

For a strange reason which I don't have figured out yet there are many many traveling mattresses in Detroit. I keep on running in to them and cannot not take a pic since I have this series of 'Traveling Mattresses' worldwide...

Free books!

Since the weather is horrible in Michigan I can't go out to take pics. That's why I found myself some books and start studying. But studying the whole day isn't really what I'm used to do so I start cutting images out of them and composing collages based on songs I listen at the moment...
By the way.. these books are all free, found in the Recycle Centre.

Back to the basics..

Back in my studio at the Recycle Centre!

The Polar Vortex, a constant taste of blood in my mouth.

March 1st. I left The Netherlands in a spring state; blossom in my pear tree. We had the mildest winter ever. Not 1 inch of snow in 6 months. Detroit, here I am. I wrestle myself a way through the snow, ice paths and the biting cold. Most of the time I spend inside the house, reading, editing and writing. When I go out for groceries I walk because there's no way I can ride my bike. Once back in the warm house my nose starts bleeding instantly. I believe my body never was in such barbaric temperatures before. 

R.I.P. Selim Lemouchi

I took this picture of Selim at the Paaspop Festival in Schijndel in 2012. He was performing with his band The Devils Blood, an occult rock band from Eindhoven, The Netherlands. He chooses to step out this life at the age of 33. He will stay in my mind as a very special gifted artist.

Signs from different senders.

I collected a few signs I've seen in the streets of New Orleans. Send out by the government, church, shops or citizens.

Roadtrip Detroit > New Orleans