Montas sits in her over heated little hut? Next to thousands more huts in the overcrowded Katapulong refugee camp for Rohingya people in Bangladesh. Her man was shot in front of her eyes, her 3 sons thrown into the fire. 2 man raped her and beat her unconscious. The fire to burn down her house woke her up. She could save her only daughter. She cries and than looks in a distant void. “Now I dream every night of my husband who asks me: 'Where are my sons'.
The Rohingya all tell me they want to return to their homeland on 3 conditions. Justice, citizinship and a UN peace force.
Freelance photojournalist, since 4 years working for Belgian and international media. Publications include De Standaard, Le Monde, Le Courrier International, BBC, Elsevier, De Tijd, De Groene Amsterdammer, Goethe Insitute, among others. I also work for the NGO's Doctors of the World, Doctors Without Borders, Handicap International.
Awards Lensculture one of the 50 best Emerging Photographers Worldwide 2016
IPA (International Photography Awards) General News Third Prize 2018
PX3 Paris Photo Bronze in the categorie Press 2017
Ipoty (Internatiol Photographer of the Year) 3thd place Editorial 2016
Nikon Press Photographers Award in the categorie Stories 2016
IPA (International Photography Awards) honorable mention in the category Photo Essay 2018
IPA (International Photography Awards) second honorable mention in the category Photo Essay 2018
Finalist and featured at Rencontres d'Arles 2016
2nd prize of Life Framer 'Humans of the World' 2015
Ipoty (Internatiol Photographer of the Year) honorable mention category Daily Life 2017
IPA (International Photography Awards) honorable mention in the category Photo Stories 2016
IPA (International Photography Awards) honorable mention in the category Photo Essay 2017
IPA (International Photography Awards) honorable mention in the category General News 2017
IPA (International Photography Awards) second honorable mention in the category General News 2017
Honorable mention ND Awards 2017
Finalist Life Framer 'An instant' 2018
Editor's pick Life Framer 'Contemporary Pilgrims' 2017
Honorable mention Life Framer 'Urban Life' 2018
Finalist Pierre and Alexandra Boulat Grant 2016
Finalist Brussels Street Photography Festival 2016
In 2014-2017 three grants gave me the opportunity to work on longterm projects: Fund Pascal Decroos for reporting on the textile workers of Cambodia. Fund Filip Decock for documenting the eco-sustainibility of Tonle Sap Lake. And International Development Reporting Grant for
