Artist · Artistic Researcher · PhD Judith van IJken is a visual artist and researcher whose work centers on photographic portraiture. Through an iterative, practice-led process of making and reflection – a form of visual thinking – she investigates the role of portraiture in contemporary society. Her practice approaches portraiture as a relational and situative process, and spans artistic projects, performative lectures, publications, and exhibitions.

She graduated cum laude from the University of the Arts Utrecht, completed a residency at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam, and earned a PhD at Leiden University (PhDArts, ACPA). Her work has been exhibited internationally. Van IJken has self-published several photobooks and has, in recent years, expanded her practice to include writing and performative presentations. She is affiliated with the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague (KABK), where she is a senior lecturer in the BA Photography and MA Photography & Society programs.

CV Education PhD (Doctor of Philosophy), Artistic Research – 2025 PhDArts, Leiden University & Royal Academy of Art, The Hague

Dissertation: The Situative Portrait Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam BA Photography (cum laude), University of the Arts Utrecht (HKU)

Research & Publications Sleutelen as a Photographic Gesture, Research in Arts & Education, Vol. 2024, No. 1 (2024). Proceedings of The Art of Research Conference VIII.

Performative Lectures & Conference Contributions (Selected) 2025 Mijn Mensen: A Familial Family Portrait, Symposium Absence as Strategy in Contemporary Art, Leiden University, NL

2024 Sleutelen as a Photographic Gesture, International Conference of Photography and Theory, CY

2024 The Familial Portrait, Helsinki Photomedia Conference, FI

2023 Sleutelen as a Photographic Gesture, Art of Research Conference, Aalto University, FI

Selected Exhibitions & Presentations 2025 The Situative Portrait, EST-Art Foundation, Leiden, NL

2022 Good Advice & Other Recipes, Benaki Museum / Athens Photo Festival, Athens, GR

2021 What a Genderful World, Wereldmuseum, Rotterdam, NL

2021 Perspectives, Institut pour la Photographie, Lille, FR

2019 First Person #1, ACPA Exhibition Space, Leiden, NL

2019 What a Genderful World, Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam, NL

Earlier exhibitions and screenings at institutions including EYE Film Institute, Nederlands Fotomuseum, Chinese European Art Centre, Foam, Centre Soleil d’Afrique, Kunsthal, and others are listed in the full CV. The artistic work has been published in magazines including de Volkskrant Magazine, Trouw, Sec., IANN, and De Correspondent.

Artist Books (Selected) Anamorphosis, design: In Edition, Essay: Lynn Berger (2018)

You Are Here, design: In Edition, (2017)

My Family, design: In Edition, (2017)

Mimicry, design SYB, Essay: Bas Haring (2010)

Teaching Senior Lecturer, BA Photography and MA Photography & Society, Royal Academy of Art, The Hague (KABK), NL (since 2010) Guest lecturer and workshop leader at institutions including Parsons The New School (New York), AKV|St. Joost (NL), Chinese European Art Centre (Xiamen), University of the Arts Utrecht, and others.

Boards & Committees Board member, Wertheimer Fonds (part of the Cultuurfonds, NL)

Member, Painting Committee, Leiden University (2024), chaired by Kitty Zijlmans

Others about the work Lynn Berger, The Correspondent, ‘As a feminist, I thought princesses were the worst. Then my daughter wanted to be one', De Correspondent, ‘Help, mijn dochter draagt prinsessenjurken.’, Wieteke van Zeil, Volkskrant Magazine - Anamorphosis, Maartje Wortel, Metropolis M - You Are Here, Tirade - Mimicry, Mirelle Thijsen / Prospektor Dutchdoc, Antoine Peters Expert Photobook review - Anamorphosis, Meindert van der Kaaij, Trouw - Mimicry, Martin Parr, Photo-eye - Mimicry, Mireille de Putter - Het Nederlandse fotoboek / The Dutch Photobook - Mimicry, Bas Haring, ‘Slippers and Sandals’

Contact

info@judithvanijken.nl