Portret van Johan Koemayara 1883 - 1884

This is Friedrich Carel Hisgen's portrait of Johan Koemayara, a photograph which is part of a series called "Les Habitants de Suriname." It was made in a period of Dutch colonial expansion. The subject, Johan, has a direct gaze that simultaneously engages and confronts the viewer. His slightly averted eyes hint at a story beyond the lens, hinting at a loss of autonomy under colonial rule. The image is part of a broader colonial project which used photography as a tool to classify and document colonized populations. In this context, Johan becomes a representation of a Surinamese identity viewed through a European lens. The artist’s work forces us to consider the ethics of representation and power. It underscores how photography can both reveal and obscure truths about identity, especially within the complex dynamics of colonialism. How do we see Johan beyond the frame of colonial documentation?