My mother has to say goodbye to the family house in Spain, where she lived with my father for many years.

In the 1970s, my grandfather emigrated from Suriname to the Netherlands with his wife and nine children in search of a better life. It wasn’t easy, but he created a good life for his family. After some time he began to miss the warmth of Suriname. He found that warmth again in Spain, where he built a family home surrounded by a land of flowers and fruit trees.

After he passed away, my father and mother moved there. Together, they lovingly cared for the house and its surroundings, making it flourish again. They found their freedom they longed for and built a beautiful life together.

Sadly, my father passed away a few years ago, my mother had the great desire to stay; she could not let go of all the beauty and memories the place held. She tried hard, but living there alone became too difficult. She is still in the process of letting go while, at the same time, building something new in the Netherlands.

These images are about her house and what once was: the house as a place of memory, while nature around it continues to grow, just like my mother. An ongoing project about comfort, resilience and impermanence.