Aarle-Rixtelse Madelief de Korte wins international photography prize

Thu Apr 25, 08:20

Human Interest

Aarle-Rixtel – While the plane from Norway has only just touched the ground, the congratulations are already pouring in. Last Tuesday, Madelief de Korte returned to Laarbeek as the best young photographer in Europe. Last week she managed to obtain the prestigious ‘FEP Young Photographer Award’ of 2024.

Madelief has had a passion for photography from an early age. When she first got her mother’s camera in her hands, she was immediately sold. “We were on holiday at the time and I climbed all the walls to get the perfect photo.” After high school, she decided to go to Sint Lucas in Eindhoven to study photography, after which she continued studying for a bachelor’s degree in photography at the LUCA school of arts, Narafi in Brussels. Here she even graduated Magna Cum Laude. Her work has already received worldwide admiration: from the Netherlands to Africa, Paris and Belgium. But partly because of this prize, her work is officially recognized and awarded at European level.

The winning photo
But the road to the perfect photo is not always a bed of roses. “Normally I often get my inspiration from objects, events or from my dreams. However, when my (bonus) father passed away last year, I fell into a hole. I felt sad, lonely and misunderstood. This stopped my creativity at that moment. I couldn’t think of anything anymore,” says Madelief. The photo report that followed contributed to the processing of this grief. “Photography is also exposing part of yourself. The work is called ‘See you on the dark side of the moon’, a fitting title because my (bonus) father was a huge fan of Pink Floyd. The black and white in my work symbolizes the two extremes I felt: the light and dark moments.” Just before the awards ceremony, she received an email that she had been selected with this photo series as one of the three finalists and that she could fly to Ålesund for the awards ceremony.

A look at the future
When Madelief finally received the first prize, she could not suppress her tears. “I still have to say it out loud to realize it,” says a proud Madelief. “I immediately received requests to be introduced to various art galleries and photo clubs.” Even after winning this prize, she does not intend to sit still. She is already working on several new works: “These photos will be in color, to indicate that I am slowly getting everything back on track. The color red will certainly play a prominent role: the color of love, but at the same time it is also a screaming color.” An exhibition is planned in Ghent in November of this year and an exhibition in Helmond in the spring of 2025 ( Goeikes), where some works will be visible to everyone. “I currently work part-time at a commercial photo studio in Nuenen and I also work as an art photographer. During my shoots I always do everything myself: from concept to styling, make-up, photography and editing. In short, a jack of all trades. I also regularly sell my works,” says Madelief. “I hope to be able to exhibit a lot more so that people can take a moment to think about my visual stories, because there is always something behind them.” For the time being, there are still a lot of beautiful things waiting to happen. We will hear even more from Madelief in the coming years. Are you curious about Madelief’s photos? These can then be viewed on LinkedIn and Instagram (@madeliefdekorte.photography).