Bio

Ruben Hamelink (1992) is a self-taught photographer and filmmaker from Rotterdam, The Netherlands. In his work he examines how people interact with the historical context of their environment and explore how history shapes the identity of a country and its inhabitants, and vice versa. By documenting the world around him, he aims to challenge assumptions, disrupt stereotypes, and prompt viewers to consider their own place in the larger narrative of human experience. He strives to approach each project with empathy and sensitivity, recognizing that the stories he tells belong not only to the past, but also to the present and future. In 2014 Ruben published the photobook; 'Vietnamese Veterans', about the men and women who defended Vietnam in four different wars. In 2017 Ruben won the Celeste ‘In Conflict’ Prize for his photo project 'The Free Runners of Gaza'. With his work ‘Living History’ he won the 2019 Zilveren Camera International Documentary prize. Through this photography and film project he explored the role of collective national history in relation to American Civil War re-enactments and Slave-Rebellion re-enactments in shaping contemporary American society and the identities of its citizens. As camera operator Ruben has worked on documentary films including 'Stateless Democracy' (2017, New World Summit and Jonas Staal) about the radical democratic movement in Rojava, West Kurdistan, and 'Monumental Crossroads' (2018, Tim van den Hoff) about the removal of the Confederate Monuments in New Orleans and the discussions regarding this contested heritage.