Hello I’m Florian Braakman

Broer is an ongoing photo series, capturing the portraits of local men who have addressed Florian with ‘broer’ (brother). The project started in Delfshaven, where he lives, but has expanded to other neighbourhoods and cities. A casual and friendly term of affection, ‘brother’ evokes a brotherhood between strangers that transcends backgrounds and family ties. Like the rest of Delfshaven’s Finest, Florian’s ongoing research on the neighbourhood Delfshaven in Rotterdam, Broer resulted from encounters in shared and public spaces like the hairdresser, the market and local shops. If during Florian’s explorations of the area someone would call him ‘brother’, Florian asked to make a portrait.

The currently forty-two portrayed men look at their ‘brother’ behind the lens, and thereby at the spectator, with a warm and open gaze. With this softness the photos dispute both the restrictive ideals of tough masculinity, and the racialized stereotypes of men of colour that are enforced by the media. Creating encounters between subject and audiences regardless of gender, Broer shows the power of making contact, and reflects on the creation of community between strangers. We could all be each other’s brothers.

Broer has been shown in the following exhibitions:
Foam Talent at Foam, Amsterdam (NL), 2024
Generation at Jakarta International Photo Festival, Jakarta (ID), 2023
Jackets, Brothers, Tools & Others at Salón, Madrid (ES), 2022
Imagination at Nederlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam, 2022
Verwantschap at Museum IJsselstein, 2022
Prospects & Concepts, Mondriaan Fund shows talent, Art Rotterdam, 2019
Family at Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, 2018 - 2019.