Mijn papa is de baas van alle vogels | Ester Afman

Description

On January 13, 2001, Bert, my beloved partner and the father of my son, ended his life.
He thought the world could go on without him.

Through this book, I seek to capture the raw reality of what it means to be left behind.
It’s about the experience of watching the world move forward while your own life stands still.

My work is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, finding ways to endure even the deepest sorrow. At the same time, it’s an invitation for the viewer to connect with the universal themes of loss and grief.
With this book, I wish to honor the love that endures, even in the darkest storms of life.

Ester Afman

 

Ester Afman (b. 1969) is a photographer based in Groningen, the Netherlands. After more than 30 years of working in healthcare and leadership roles, she transitioned to photography to explore human vulnerability and emotional resilience. In December 2024, she graduated from the Fotoacademie Amsterdam with the debut of her photo book and exhibition Mijn papa is de baas van alle vogels (My Dad is the Boss of All Birds), a deeply personal project on grief, memory, and life after suicide.

Through a poetic visual language, her work translates human emotions into images that invite viewers to connect, reflect, and recognize themselves in the story.

Her photographs have been featured in Het Parool and Dagblad van het Noorden, Zoom.nl-magazine

 Selected Exhibition:
Debuut Expo – Westergas, Amsterdam, December 11–22, 2024

Follow her work:
Instagram: @esterafmanfotografie
Website: www.esterafmanfotografie.nl