Annika Derksen (1994) is a Dutch photographer currently based in London producing works in which she employs documentary modes. The starting points of her projects often lie in curiosity towards that which is unknown to her. Using the camera as a tool to comprehend, Annika depicts her personal encounters through photographs.
Also,
I am from a small town in the Netherlands, there's a big lake, cheese factory and lots of bicycles. My biggest dream is to be the owner of a classical Volkswagen Van, preferably a mint green one. - Donations are always welcome. - On the top of my bucket list is, next to travel around the world, the ability to speak at least five languages fluently. As as I currently only speak two, I should probably start working on that. Furthermore I dream to visit every continent, I think fish are utterly fascinating, I have a pet hamster named Muggles and a rescue cat named Tilly, loves of my life. I'm also hoping to one day be the proud owner of a dog named Gorilla, even though the Orangutan is really my favourite animal. Oh and I cannot live without my bicycles Harry, Hamish and Hamilton. Yes, one isn't enough, although I technically have another without a name.
On the other hand insects and I don’t exactly see eye to eye, in fact I have once slept on a bathroom floor for two nights because there was a stag beetle in my room. I'm terribly afraid of heights, but seem to find myself standing on what I consider as 'high' places all the time. One of my biggest 'talents' is my clumsiness. Yet it seems to entertain people, so I guess that’s a good thing.
A little bit more about my academic background..
I enrolled in the professional Bachelor in Audiovisual Techniques: Photography at the Luca School of Arts (Narafi campus) in Brussels, to explore visual media. Through my bachelor degree I received an outstanding education, with a thorough focus on the technical aspects of photography, a solid introduction to arts more broadly, analysing photography and art and critically assessing my own work. I graduated with a distinction in June 2017.
In order to further develop my skills both academically and professionally, and in particular to develop a deeper knowledge of researching projects I enrolled in the MA in Documentary Photography and Photojournalism at the University of Westminster in September 2017. Here I developed my interest in researching visual media, such as design, archival photography work, and a thorough introduction into curating exhibitions as well as creating my own body of work. For my final project, entitled One Hundred and Ninety Nine, I researched and archived the contents of a large, eccentric rural house in Cornwall. I graduated with a distinction November 2018.
And to give a general idea of the person you'll be working with if you were to have me as your photographer, here's a collection of photographs of me...
