To create awareness and understanding of homelessness, a silent performance was created along with a poster and photography campaign by Stop de Stilte, Stichting Springplank, and Yellow Sunshine.

We are often ‘silent’ about things we find difficult or are ashamed of. A performance was set up in the center of Eindhoven where stories were told by people who are or have been homeless. The stories they were silent about. Positive stories were also told, about what helped or where they are now. Always with the message that all the stories we tell could be about you and me. Additionally, we made about 45 portraits to show how much we resemble each other. That someone can end up at Stichting Springplank through a few wrong choices, one impactful event, or illness. There is currently a traveling chair that gives these stories a voice. If you are curious about where this chair can be seen right now, keep an eye on the Stop de Stilte page.

Thanks to: Stop de Stilte, Stichting Springplank, Yellow Sunshine, Thijs Eradus, Jessie Faber, Janna Sibbes, Katrien van de Camp, Suzanne van Gool, Frans Brok, and Bram Wakelkamp

For more information: Stop de Stilte and Stichting Springplank

In collaboration with the Municipality of ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Weener XL and Refugee Team, we are organizing an exhibition about ambition. Together with a fantastic team, we have been working over the past months to connect people in various ways. Tonight, we will do that by engaging in conversation through photography and film. Three exhibitions and artist talks are scheduled. The opening will take place on April 25 at 7 PM in H73 in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Two weeks later, the exhibition will move to the MBO school at Koning Willem I College, where we will engage with students during several lectures. Finally, the exhibition will be presented at the DIY festival on June 8 at Tramkade.

Weener XL commissioned me to create a photo series about the women who are part of the Zelfie project. These women have weekly meetings in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, where they create space to discuss diverse topics and learn about themselves and each other. The goal of the project is to empower women and help them integrate into Dutch society and find suitable work. As I took part in the meetings and photographed and interviewed fifteen women, I realised that many topics and conversations centred around the theme of ambition. I noticed that some of the questions in the program were asked from a privileged perspective. In a welfare state, like the Netherlands, kids are encouraged to dream and create their future from a young age. But what happens if those dreams are dismissed because you are forced to leave your country? I started to explore what passion and ambition mean to these women to have a better understanding of their perspective and explore whether we asked the right questions in the first place. I quickly realised that while I associate the word ambition with a career, there are many other ways to have an ambition.

Thanks to: Bram van der Veer, Rianne van der Aa, Sara van Schooneveld, Caatje van Leeuwen, Break Free Films, José van Doremalen, Anne Slaets, Martijn Berghman en Anneloes van Rijsewijk.

For more information: Weener XL

Part of the selection and jury report of Fotodok Talent Embassy:

“FOTODOK launches the second edition of the FOTODOK Talent Embassy, designed to support the involvement of 10 emerging photographers from the Netherlands in esteemed international photography festivals across Europe, thanks to Pictoright Fund.

The program aims to help these artists to prepare for the festivals: a team of international experts collaborates with us to refine the selection and presentation of their work and personal profiles. Our goal is for them to travel confidently with an updated portfolio and a compelling pitch. The Talent Embassy extends our successful efforts from the Netherlands to an international level, showcasing talents and connecting them to valuable networks.

All submissions have been meticulously evaluated and the jury selected the following ten talented photographers: Chris Becher, Jesper Boot, Emma van Dobben, Mark Rammers and Pippilotta Yerna for Reggio Emilia; Wiosna van Bon, Sebastian Koudijzer, Meshkat Talebi, Oxiea Villamonte and Farren van Wyk for Arles.”

For more information: FOTODOK 

Great news! I can announce that Cultuur fund has granted me an equipment grant. 

For more information: Het Cultuurfonds

The ZOZ Fund has approached me with the question if I would like to give a masterclass to recently graduated artists.

Curious about how you can take your first steps after studying at the art academy. Follow the online masterclass: September 26, 2023 at 6:45 PM

For more information: Fonds ZOZ

For more information: Film Week Arnhem

The presentation of the Harry Pennings Prize 2023. All nominees were put in the spotlight and the jury was fortunate to find so much beautiful talent: Bebe Blanco Agterberg, Wiosna van Bon, Eliza Bordeaux, Laura Chen, Jasper van den Ende, Julia Gat , Esther Hovers, Rick van der Klooster and Sabine van Wechem. The photography projects for which they have been selected will be shown in the group exhibition from May 6 to June 24, 2023.

After a welcome word by Petra Cardinaal, the audience explained that the Harry Pennings Prize was her gift to Harry when she took over Galerie Pennings from him in 2006, and she gave the floor to the jury. Hendrik Driessen (curator) and Roos Schouw (editor-in-chief Focus) took turns reading part of the jury report.

The winner of the Harry Pennings Prize 2023 is Jasper van den Ende.
The winner of the Harry Pennings Audience Award 2023 is Wiosna van Bon.

For more information: Pennings Foundation

I was asked by the Koning Willem I College to tell the photography students about my work and the steps I made after the art academy.

For more information: KW1C

In the context of 100 years of Titus Brandsmalyceum, January is the month of creation. During this month, all students will work visually during class to fill an ‘Pakje Kunst’. I have been asked as a guest teacher to guide the students.

“In het kader van 100 jaar Titus Brandsmalyceum is januari de maand van de creatie. In deze maand gaan alle leerlingen tijdens de les beeldend aan de slag met het vullen van een pakje kunst. Ze worden daarbij begeleid door een aantal gastdocenten waaronder een aantal oud-leerlingen.

Pakje Kunst is een initiatief waarbij lokale kunstenaars op een laagdrempelige manier onder de aandacht gebracht worden in de eigen regio. Zo krijgen kopers toegang tot het kunstaanbod in de regio. De kunstwerken zijn ter grootte van een pakje sigaretten en trek je uit oude mechanische sigarettenautomaten. In een doosje kan je iedere kunstvorm tegenkomen.”

For more information: TBL

FOTODOK Lighthouse invited me to make a presentation for recently graduated photographers. A presentation about the period between just graduating and finding assignments as a photographer.

Are you a starting photographer and do you want to follow a program that supports, inspires and gives you a valuable connection with the professional field? Check Lighthouse; see link bellow. They help you acquire cultural entrepreneurship skills and you get the chance to work on the development of a convincing project plan.

For more information: Lighthouse

The office of State Secretary Maarten van Ooijen (NL), Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport is a place where many people come every day. When they look around, they recently see the photo series that I made in collaboration with ‘Het Beelddepot’. The photo series makes him observe every day what life can look like for homeless young people, Van Ooijen stated around the unveiling. Seventeen photos with a quote from the photographed. Very proud of these people and of the Beelddepot-team. Proud that the portrayed are shown and seen in a place where policy is made.

During the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven, a photo exhibition of Springplank, Wiosna van Bon can be seen at Bakkie040.

Why? To give Springplank candidates and employees a stage. To show the truth behind homelessness and to create awareness by talking to each other, by sharing experiences and showing (visual) stories.

When? From 22 to 30 October at Bakkie040 at Strijp-S. Bakkie040 is open every day during the DDW. From 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

For more information: BAKKIE040

Het Beelddepot, part of Het Bouwdepot, is an organization that wants to change the negative image of homeless people in the media. The goal is to offer more realistic photography. Together with the team BD we spoke to a group of young people and asked how they like to be seen and photographed.

During the dutch design week, some of my photos and those of other photographers from BD will be shown during the Dutch Design Week in the ‘Van Abbemuseum’ in Eindhoven. Open from October 22 to 30 October.

For more information: Embassy of Inclusive Society

Kunstloc Brabant will support my practice in the upcoming years. There are many projects coming up; so grateful for this opportunity and trust.

“Met haar project Family Stranger (waarvoor Wiosna al een succesvolle crowdfunding met ondersteuning uit de impulsgelden voor afrondde) maakte Wiosna van Bon al veel indruk als documentair fotografe. Wiosna zet zich in om, middels fotografie, gevoelige of moeilijke onderwerpen bespreekbaar te maken. Hiervoor zoekt zij ook de samenwerking op met het sociaal domein. Om deze samenwerking te verduurzamen en haar artistieke praktijk te ontwikkelen ontvangt zij een bijdrage uit de impulsgelden. Dit is tevens een vervolg op haar kennisvouchertraject, ook ondersteund met een bijdrage uit de impulsgelden.

For more information: Kunstloc Brabant

My book is sold out. The last book was ordered from the publisher The Eriskay Connection. That means they don’t have any more books from me on their shelves. The book was launched in December 2020 and the last book was ordered in the summer of 2022. The time flew by; the book Family Stranger is sold out in 1.5 to 2 years. This has been a nice journey.

Thank you to everyone who has supported and believed in me. I’m grateful for the process, collaborations and various reactions. I’ve received messages from people around the world. It was nice to be able to attend book fairs and festivals. And all this during a bumpy pandemic. It was my first book and definitely not my last. On to the next projects.

On show soon — The Rotterdam Art Week will take place from 18 to 22 May. The festival for art, design and architecture lovers. During Art Rotterdam, my work will be on show in the Prospects exhibition of the Mondriaan Fund. The exhibition is curated by curators Johan Gustavsson and Gabija Seiliute.

For more information: Art Rotterdam

While working on a project about homeless young people, I came across the Springplank Foundation. From 2022 I collaborate with Springplank weekly by participating in the marketing and communication team; we work together on creative (visual) projects.

For more information: Springplank

The following photographers / makers were invited to the 28th edition of the FOTODOK Book Club: Robin de Puy, Sander van Wettum, Thomas Dworzak, Rob van Hoesel and Wiosna Van Bon. The live talk show was hosted by Rob Hornstra en Sterre Sprengers. Photo made by Martha Stroo.

For more information: FOTODOK

Family Stranger is shortlisted for the International Photobook Award of Festival de Libros de Fotos de Autor – FELIFA.

“After the awards ceremony, which will take place during FELIFA 2021, where all the participating books will be shown, there will be a travelling exhibition where both the finalist books and the award-winning books will be shown… The exhibition will be inaugurated during the first half of 2022 in Buenos Aires and will then travel to other partner institutions in Latin America including Brazil, Uruguay and Cuba.”

For more information: FELIFA

YES, I’m so happy and grateful to share this big news: I’m shortlisted for the Paris Photo – Aperture First PhotoBook Award.

“This year’s shortlist selection took place over the course of three days at Aperture’s offices in New York, and involved the review of more than eight hundred submissions. The jury for the shortlist included Emilie Boone (art historian), Sonel Breslav (director of fairs and editions, Printed Matter), Darius Himes (international head of photographs, Christie’s), Lesley A. Martin (creative director, Aperture Foundation), and Jody Quon (director of photography, New York Magazine)…The thirty-five shortlisted titles will be exhibited at Paris Photo and in an expanded online presentation at aperture.com as well as profiled in the fall 2021 edition of The PhotoBook Review issue 020 (published by Aperture Foundation), to be released at the Fair.”

For more information: Paris Photo and Aperture

A long-term social design project for which I have been asked to collaborate with a great team. This year ‘Het Bouwdepot’ is taking part in the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven. Come and visit us. October 16 – 24, 2021. Area 51, Strijp-S

For more information: Het Bouwdepot

– SOLD OUT –
You can now sign up for the booktalk on Friday September 24, 20:00. I will talk about the background and making of the book Family Stranger.

For more information: Pennings Foundation

Great news! I’m excited to share that Mondriaan Fund will continue to support my work for the coming months!

For more information: Mondriaan Fonds

‘Family Stranger’ is shortlisted in the category ‘The Author Book Award’ at Les Recontres d’Arles. The book is included in the exhibition ‘Arles Books’ from July 4 to September 26, 2021.

For more information: The Rencontres d’Arles Book Awards

‘Family Stranger’ is shortlisted for the ‘De Nederlandse Fotoboekenprijs’ at FotoFestival Naarden. The book is included in the exhibition from July 3 to August 29, 2021.

For more information: de Nederlandse Fotoboekenprijs, FotoFestival Naarden

Solo exhibition at Pennings Foundation in Eindhoven.
Exhibition from June 12 to October 9, 2021.

For more information: Pennings Foundation

‘Family Stranger’ is shortlisted in the international category of the Best Photography Book Award PHotoESPAÑA. The book is included in the exhibition ‘The Best Photography Books of the Year’ at PHotoESPAÑA Gallery from May 31 to August 30, 2021.

For more information: The Best Photography Book of the Year Award

I’ve started a new research on what it means to be a family, focusing on homeless young people, in collaboration with and supported by the ZOZ Academy, ZOZ Fund.

The ZOZ Fund is managed by Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds. ZOZ Academy is run by the Meervaart as part of the fund. ZOZ is made possible by the Ministry of Justice and Security and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment.

The worldwide distribution of the book ‘Family Stranger’ is provided by Idea Books. My first photo book was released on December 1, 2020. The book grew out of the collaboration of several unique contributors. The following companies and people contributed to the production of the book: Rob van Hoesel, Liza Szabó, Carel Fransen, Evelien Seegers, Rosie Heinrich, Patist (NL), Color & Books / Sebastiaan Hanekroot, Fine Books / Jos Morree (NL) and Wilco Art Books (NL).

ISBN 978-94-92051-47-9

For more information: The Eriskay Connection

To continue my development I applied to Kunstloc Brabant to get support from a business coach. Together with Bas Veldhuizen and Sam Branten we discussed my needs and selected the coach who suits best. Since mid-2020 I’ve been working with Marion Beltman on improving my business plan, both artistically and financially.

“Omdat Wiosna’s praktijk zich niet alleen op de kunstwereld, maar ook op het sociale domein en op het verwerven van commerciële opdrachten richt, ontstond de behoefte meer structuur aan te brengen. Alle gebieden vergen immers een andere strategie en communicatie. Door samen met coach Marion Beltman een businessplan op te stellen ontstaat inzicht in de samenhang tussen verschillende bouwstenen en kunnen onderdelen effectiever worden ingezet in de eigen bedrijfsvoering.Marion Beltman is een ondernemerscoach met een ruime kennis en ervaring in zowel de kunst- en cultuursector, als in het bedrijfsleven en bij de overheid.”

Happy, grateful and honoured to announce that I received the Mondriaan Fund Stipendium for Emerging Artists.

In collaboration with designer Rob van Hoesel and publisher The Eriskay Connection we are working on publishing my project, Family Stranger, as a photo book.

I was invited to give an artist talk as a guest lecturer about preparing crowdfunds. The lecture was presented to makers who want to start their crowdfunding. The students and the makers worked on their written plans for their concepts of crowdfunding.

I have been invited to stay one week in Belfast, to give a presentation about my photo project Family Stranger in North Ireland at the Belfast Photo Festival. The talk was in the Framewerk Gallery.

I was invited to give an artist talk for the employees of the company Dichterbij in Oss.

The crowdfunding campaign via Voordekunst has started. The book is available for pre-order.

More information: Voordekunst 

My crowdfunding campaign was supported by the impulse funds of the Province of Noord-Brabant with advice throughout the process from Kunstloc Brabant.

Solo exhibition in the city hall of Oss including an artist talk.

“Wiosna van Bon is een Pools-Nederlandse fotograaf uit Oss. Haar projecten gaan over eenzaamheid en over zwakkere groepen in onze samenleving die, ondanks alles, volharden. In 2017 studeerde Wiosna van Bon af als documentaire fotograaf aan de Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten in Den Haag. In 2018 had ze haar eerste solo-expositie in penitentiaire inrichting Vught. Het project heeft meerdere kranten en blogs bereikt waaronder het Brabants Dagblad, Algemeen Dagblad, Omroep Brabant, Stadsblad Den Bosch, De Sleutel, Linda nieuws en het project was te zien op de Nederlandse televisie op NPO2 Omroep Max.”

Big solo exhibition in prison Vught. Two exhibitions at the same time. One for visitors of the prison and one for prison staff members. I gave twelve tours and artist talks. I made a special programme for prison staff where I gave a lecture about my research and possible improvements they could implement into their workdays Interesting and positive discussion came long with the programme. The exhibition was presented in 6 different rooms. Most of the rooms were located at Unit 1, a building dating from the Second World War and used as a prison until 2013. The spaces varied from visitor’s spaces to isolation cells.

Shortlisted for the Unseen Dummy Award.

“Unseen Amsterdam has announced the 34 photobook dummies shortlisted for the Unseen Dummy Award 2018. Picked out from 212 submissions by a five-strong committee, the shortlist respects “a degree of rawness, including an ‘unfinished’ look and feel’, in keeping with the prize’s ethos of celebrating books-in-progress.”

Shortlisted for the Lucie Foundation Emerging artist scholarship.

Digital group exhibition curated by Rachel Jump.

“It is my pleasure to share the 30 artists that make up ‘Familiar / Familial’. Selecting photographs for this exhibition was immensely challenging— each entrant put forward compelling images that addressed ideas surrounding the theme of familiarity. I truly appreciated the experience of viewing work by so many brilliant artists, as they collectively proclaim the power and importance of personal projects in the realm of contemporary photography.”

Group exhibition for 2,5 months including artist talks at CBK Zuidoost in Amsterdam.

“CBK Zuidoost: Works of Mercy / Werken van barmhartigheid toont een actuele vertaling van de (oud) christelijke werken van barmhartigheid. Met werk van: Laurence Aëgerter, Kostana Banovic, Wiosna Van Bon, Richtje Nijhof, Bas Timmer, Su Tomesen en Helen Zeru. Opening donderdag 12 april om 17 uur door Wethouder Simone Kukenheim.”

Graduation show of the photography class of 2017.

Group exhibition at Melkweg in Amsterdam.

“In de expo ‘The Power of the Single Image’ onderzoeken de studenten de kracht van één beeld. Als groep in een exporuimte heeft elke fotograaf slechts beperkte mogelijkheden om zijn werk in de ruimte te plaatsen en zijn boodschap te communiceren. De studenten worden gedwongen om keuzes te maken en een beeld uit te kiezen dat de rest van hun creatief proces en werk symboliseert. De exporuimte wordt gevuld met de krachtigste beelden van alle projecten van de studenten: een explosie van sterke foto’s die het resultaat zijn van de zoektocht naar schoonheid, zingeving en het perfecte beeld.”