Portret van Awarahena 1883 - 1884

Curator: Standing before us is a photograph by Friedrich Carel Hisgen titled "Portret van Awarahena," created between 1883 and 1884. It’s currently housed right here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Awarahena. What a melodic name. The first impression is one of quiet contemplation, isn’t it? There’s a stark simplicity in the image, and I feel this strong sense of direct gaze, even though it's a profile. There’s a whole story whispered here, right? Curator: Absolutely. This portrait is a part of a larger colonial project attempting to classify and document people indigenous to Suriname. What interests me is the intersection of photographic realism and scientific objectivity, alongside underlying power dynamics. Editor: I'm captivated by Awarahena's youth and expression. I wonder about his inner world— what was it like for him being viewed and viewed again decades later in this way? A melancholy question to sit with, wouldn't you say? His stance carries an air of subdued dignity. And it gives us a bit to think about ourselves in return... Curator: These images, sadly, became tools for constructing narratives about colonized peoples. However, looking at "Portret van Awarahena" in a contemporary light encourages a re-evaluation of colonial history and power. We're reminded of its role in shaping both knowledge and social control. Editor: Absolutely. I sense both vulnerability and surprising resilience. Like looking through a glass: part documentation, part feeling – like two reflections trying to co-exist. It makes me think we have this obligation to let images breathe outside what we assume or expect from it. Awarahena has become an ancestor now, someone whose beauty will not just disappear... Curator: Indeed. It prompts necessary and complex discussions on the ethics of representation in photography, doesn't it? Editor: Without a doubt. Hisgen's photo is undeniably a reminder that images contain much more than their initial framing could convey. The boy may remain silent in the portrait, but as long as we have him in sight he is never really still.