Florian Braakman

Featured Artist Florian Braakman (1988) wasn’t just responsible for our first nipplegate, he’s also released a new book She Comes in Colours, escapes through flight and likes the color blue. Braakman is a photographer and visual storyteller currently living and working in The Hague. He recently graduated from the Royal Academy of Arts and like ‘to go on safari in modern city life,’ as he puts it. His newest book, She Comes in Colours, is a subtle love story reminding you it’s the little things that matter, and how beautiful those things can be. Her painted nails and dishevelled ponytail, two planes crossing mid-air. But it also speaks of the distance between where you are and where she is, and the impossibility of covering that distance.

Who are you?

Florian Braakman, born 26 June, 1988. Photographer/ visual storyteller.

What’s your favourite colour?

The title of the series comes from the Rolling Stones song ‘She’s Like a Rainbow’. I think the song is about this guy who is reminded of his girl through colours. In that sense, my favourite colour is blue as it represents the sky and the sea, the two factors that physically separate us.

What’s her favourite colour?

Blue as well.

What do you like about photography?

I love that photography is associative, this is important to me. It’s never a one-way transfer. The viewers’ interpretation can be different from my intention and I’m fine with this, it gives the medium openness. I’m actually quite happy with the medium’s limits.

You often photograph planes, do you like flying?

Planes symbolize transfer, adventure and longing for me. I can look with a kind of jealousy at the sky when I see a plane. When I’m on a plane I feel like a kid who’s there for the first time. I love to sit next to the window and just gaze, it makes me feel small and gives me the feeling of contemplation.

Is there anything particular you look for when photographing? I noticed you don’t depict many people. Don’t you like people?

I love people very much, but I’m interested in more aspects of life. I love the unexpected and the beauty of the non-subject or the overlooked in society. My territory is usually the modern city but within that, I find nature and the changing of the seasons very interesting aspects as well. I also photograph a lot of objects in public spaces, these little things in life say so much about people and their environment.

You just graduated. Any big plans for the future?

In ten years I hope to make a living working on my own projects. I want to be more political in my work, there are a lot of things that concern me and I want to translate this in photography. I hope I can make a little difference. Other than that, I want adventures, travel and see and photograph the world. Life is a constant search about who you are, what you want, which values are important. When I was 16 I thought I knew the world, when I was 20 I thought I did, I just turned 25 and I still have no clue.