Back to Your Hood

I returned to Curaçao, the island where I was born. It felt great to walk the streets again: the smells, colors, and sounds brought me closer to myself. It was for me a beautiful opportunity to be back on the island for this project. I wanted to go back to school and work with Radulphus College and St. Paulus School, where I also studied. This project revolved around these two questions: What are the things that you don’t like about Curaçao? What are the changes that you wish for Curaçao?

St. Paulus

The moment I walked back into St. Paulus, memories from 21 years ago came back. The school looks very different from when I took technical classes there, but seeing the students felt like a flashback.
The students were very enthusiastic, more than I often see in the Netherlands, where I’ve been teaching art for three years. They worked on their paintings with love and passion.

Some students struggled to say what they wanted to improve. Some thought everything was fine, and others didn’t want to draw their ideas. Most of them chose to show beauty—nature and bright colors. Their work showed hope, as if they were saying, “We know there are problems, but we believe things can get better.”

Radulphus

Going back to Radulphus was the strongest nostalgic moment. I studied there for three years, 15 years ago. It was nice to see a new generation filling the halls with dreams, aspirations and plans for their future.

One of my favorite parts of the project was talking with the Radulphus students. So, I took my time to fill myself with their energy and passion. I spent time there doing short interviews and quick sketches while we talked.