Paradise Found

It was as if I had never left, and now returned.

My work explores the elusive concept of belonging, questioning whether it is a destination or a constructed ideal. Paradise Found continues the narrative of my previous project, ‘Another Place’, addressing the enduring question of where I belong after migrating to the Netherlands 38 years ago. In this series, I investigate the triggers of belonging, even in places I have never visited. Is it the soul of the land, the awakening of childhood senses, or simply the physical pull of the Equator?

In February 2026, I stood on the boardwalk in Barbados. It was the closest I had been to my homeland, Suriname, in 38 years. By the second day, I immediately recognized a profound sense of belonging. It felt as though I had found paradise - not because the landscape was pristine, but because of the soul of the place, the spirit of its people, and an atmosphere that embraced me like a warm hug. The sky seemed to greet me as an old friend, asking, ‘Why have you taken this long?’ It evoked deep memories of my childhood, stirring a melancholy nostalgia for a time more than three decades past. But why did this happen here?

Uncovering the answer to this question is the core quest of this series.

Through this work, I challenge the notion that wealth lies in abundance. Instead, I propose that true richness resides in small, carefully curated moments. Paradise is not merely seen; it is carefully contained—a reminder that the most valuable things are often the smallest.

May 2026