Reconnaissance
Nikki Nieuwenkamp is a Groningen-based printmaker and illustrator. She presents an unsettling series of prints that respond directly to personal experiences with sexual abuse and violence. Through the use of oversexualized and dehumanized self-portraits, she strips herself of her humanity. The work is a reaction to a society in which women are often forced to become “less than human” in order to survive. The series is rooted in anger and resistance, reflecting an emotional aftermath to harmful relationships and the erasure of identity that can follow. By asking the confronting question, “Is this all I am to you?”, the artist challenges the viewer to reflect on their own gaze and the cultural narratives that perpetuate the objectification of women. This work demands to be seen, discussed, and felt.
