For the first twenty years of his life, Harmen Meinsma lived with his grandmother in a small village in Friesland. During his teens, he felt like an outcast. His photography grew to be a positive space, where he could be himself. What started as building small decors in his grandma’s attic – where he photographed himself and friends – grew into a wider determination to give the underdog a pedestal.

Harmen is inspired by the people he comes across in real life. He amplifies what intrigues him through his lens. “In my work, I direct the spotlight to outcasts and the birds of paradise in this world and I turn them into icons.”

Harmen Meinsma received his BA (Hons) degree from the Willem de Kooning academy in 2017, specializing in fine art photography. He is working on vibrant personal and commissioned projects since then. His work has been exhibited in New York during Photoville in 2019 and during the group exhibition ‘Youthquake’ in the Kunsthal Rotterdam in 2021. His images have been featured in magazines such as &C, Vogue NL, Nouveau and FD Persoonlijk.

CV
EDUCATION
2013-2017 BA Photography (hons) – Willem de Kooning academy – Rotterdam
2012-2013 BA Photography – Royal Academy of Art – The Hague

AWARDS
2020 LensCulture Street Photography Awards (finalist)
2020 SO AWARD (nominated)

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2021  Pose! (solo) – Slash Gallery – Rotterdam (upcoming)
2021 Youthquake (group) – Kunsthal – Rotterdam
2020 Starring You (group) – Melkweg Expo – Amsterdam
2020 Pose! (artist in residence) – Worm – Rotterdam
2019 Photoville (group) – New York City
2018 Museum Nacht 010 (solo) – Rotterdam
2017 Bazaar Beauties (solo) – Rotterdam
2017 Pentaprism (graduation show) – Rotterdam
2013 (On)begrensd (group) – De Affiche Galerij – Den Haag

ADVISOR/EXPERT ROLE
2020 Guest Lecturer – School of the Art Institute of Chicago
2018 Character Building – Showroom MAMA – Rotterdam

COLLECTIONS
2018 The Last Season I – Hogeschool Rotterdam 

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS/PRESS
2021 Geobsedeerd door eeuwige jeugd – FD Persoonlijk (in-print)
2020 Elderly Heroes – Coeval Magazine
2020 Harmen Meinsma, la vita è un gioco SuperPop. Con un’aria da commedia americana – Italian Factory Magazine
2020 Giving Birth To Dying – Coeval Magazine
2019 Superstars – &C magazine (in-print)
2019 Tommy Walton – Coeval Magazine
2019 Dit rotterdamse draghouse is van plan de wereld te bestormen – i-D
2019 Laatbloeiers – &C magazine (in-print)
2018 Talent in beeld – CJP magazine (in-print)
2018 Een vervlogen jeugd – ADCN Magazine (in-print)
2018 Portrait of Elza Jo – Vogue NL (in-print)
2017 Hollandse Beelden (in-print)
2017 Upcoming talent – Kiekie krant (in-print)
2017 The class of 2017 – Adformatie (in-print)
2016 Fashionarchitecture FW16 – de Architect
2016 Myn leave Ljouwert – Trouw (in-print)
2016 Bazaar beauty’s: de paradijsvogels van rotterdam – i-D

SELECTED INTERVIEWS
2021 Nooit Meer Slapen – VPRO
2020 Glamour op de camping in Hoek van Holland: ‘Hier is geluk nog heel gewoon’ – RTV Rijnmond
2019 Professionele dramaqueen harmen meinsma wil iedereen beroemd maken – i-D
2019 Harmen & Hannah – NPO Extra
2017 Glamour op de camping van Hoek van Holland – AD
2017 Zoeken naar paradijsvogels op de Afrikaandermarkt – OPEN Rotterdam

SELECTED CLIENTS
Kunsthal, Vogue NL, &C, Adformatie, Gemeente Rotterdam, Showroom MAMA and Trouw