Photographer Tahné Kleijn tells the story of her grandmother Pieta with 'My Dearest Teun'. During World War II, Pieta was imprisoned with her son in Tjideng, a Japanese internment camp for women and children in what was then Batavia (now Jakarta), which was obviously traumatic. Grandfather Teun, who was a sailor with the Koninklijke Pakketvaartmaatschappij (Royal Packet Navigation Company) also experienced a lot. The first generation could not talk about the suffering they had endured. Once back in the Netherlands, there was no interest in their stories either, as people in the Netherlands had suffered under the German occupation, including the hunger winter. There was also no interest in the stories of Indo people and Moluccans, the KNIL soldiers, after the independence of Indonesia. The second and especially the third generation is working on the family history, leading to the production of books, films, and art projects.

What is unique is that Pieta kept a diary during her stay in the camp. She wrote the texts on very small pieces of paper that she hid behind photos in frames, but also on the inside of the trunk and other utensils. Keeping a diary was forbidden. Being caught meant the death penalty. The diary that the family possesses was transcribed by Pieta after the war from the small notes. It is special that a diary exists, as it gives a picture of life in the camps, with the hardships. She also kept a baby book about her son and compiled a cookbook with recipes, including recipes from others, even though there was less and less to eat. Additionally, a wooden puzzle that Pieta made for her son has been preserved.

Pieta and her son (Tahné's uncle) lived in various houses. The diary fragments provided enough inspiration for Kleijn to build sets in a studio of situations in the different houses and to create associative images with models, including herself and her son. This results in a kind of reconstruction of situations as happens in films.

The exhibition is combined with a number of portraits that photographer Jan Banning made of men, including his father, who worked as forced laborers on the Sumatra railway.

We now think differently about the colonial past of the Netherlands in Indonesia. The exhibition will also pay attention to this, including books, films, and a side program that provide context. But that does not mean that the traumatic stories of the Dutch who suffered under the Japanese occupation should not be heard.

The tension in the late thirties is comparable to the tension we now experience in the world. Tahné experiences this especially because her husband, as a professional soldier, is now more often away from home. History repeats itself.

The exhibition opens on August 15. This date was not chosen by chance. It is the day Japan capitulated and the imprisonment in the camps ended.

Tahné Kleijn (1990) lives and works as a photographer in Helmond. She studied at AKV | St. Joost in Breda and graduated in 2015. Conducting extensive research and careful direction form the basis of her work. Kleijn has developed a recognizable handwriting inspired by the light and compositions of 17th-century painting. This forms the basis for creating contemporary genre pieces, as well as still lifes and portraits. Kleijn's work is engaged; she stages her photo series based on (historical) events. Photo series such as 'Soo d'Oude Songen, Soo Pypen de Jongen', ‘My Dear Vincent’, and '#StilLeven' are examples of this. In addition to autonomous work, Kleijn photographs on commission.

"As a socially engaged artist, I use my personal experiences to explore broader societal themes. Like with my photo series about the 'problem family' I grew up in, an honest investigation into my own past. This series functions as a story about family, vulnerability, resilience, and loyalty. I seek the balance between beauty and discomfort, documentary work within the tradition of visual art. By laying bare my own history, I invite the audience to think about social issues such as upbringing, poverty, and traumas passed down from generation to generation.

My work balances between capturing reality and carefully constructing images that tell a story. My series have a strong narrative core; as a storyteller, I use photography to highlight human experiences. I explore the space between fact and fiction, with my photographic images always imbued with emotion and symbolism.

My art is both personal and universal, weaving together social structures and individual life stories. The connection between the intimate and the social forms the core of my work, which is not only meant to be observed but also to actively make the viewer reflect on their own position within society." 

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