About
Robin de Puy’s (b.1986, the Netherlands) photographs start with a desire to tell her own story through the faces of others. Whether it’s the freckled adolescent she noticed whilst refuelling in Wyoming, the Dutch author, poet and columnist Remco Campert, or the boy Randy she met in Nevada whilst on her American road trip, de Puy sees the camera as an aid to understand the deeply personal traits and histories of each person, and how they also reveal something about herself. Many of her encounters are fleeting; a heartfelt glance into the life of someone else before time resumes its frantic pace. In others, as with Randy, those same transient experiences blossom into profound and enduring relationships. Regardless of which ending they have, de Puy’s photographs are always imbued with a sensitivity and timelessness that encourages a slow gaze on the human condition. Her images are chances for genuine human connection, and through sharing with them with the world, allow us to take part in such moments.
Bio
Robin de Puy studied at the Fotoacademie Rotterdam and has been exhibited internationally at institutions and galleries including; Bonnefantenmuseum, Maastricht (2018); Museum Hilversum, Hilversum (2017); The Hague Museum of Photography, The Hague (2016); Stedelijk Museum, Breda (2016) and Photoville, New York (2016). Amongst numerous other awards, De Puy was the winner of the National Portrait Prize in both 2013 and 2019. Her work is held in major public and private collections including Bonnefantenmuseum, Maastricht; De Nederlandse Bank, Amsterdam; Museum Voorlinden, Wassenaar; Centraal Museum Utrecht, Utrecht; Fotomuseum Den Haag, The Hague; Huis Marseille, Amsterdam and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Hague.
“A Joyous, Mysterious Portrait of Rural American Boyhood.” ~ The New Yorker about her project RANDY
In 2015, de Puy took a 10,000 km road trip across the US on a Harley Davidson, making images that were published as the book If This Is True, I’ll Never Have to Leave Home Again in 2016. The trip was documented by Simone de Vries and Maarten van Rossem, and the film was nominated for an International Emmy Award in 2017.
“The American road trip is a photographic trope that’s often abused by countless photographers, but Robin de Puy, through her truly personal approach, has produced an opus that sets her apart from the masses. Her American road trip spanned 8,000 miles on a motorcycle, but you’ll rarely see pictures of stunning landscapes in her work. Instead, the Dutch photographer chose to focus on the people she met – sharing personal experiences that many photographers would shun. The result is a stunning study of today’s America made all the more relevant after Donald Trump’s election.” ~ TIME MAGAZINE about her first book 'If This Is True'.
Agenda
In July 2026, acclaimed Dutch photographer and filmmaker Robin de Puy will embark on a road trip from Nevada to New York for the latest chapter of her ongoing series, Randy.
Awards
Zilveren Camera, Storytelling Prize
Nominated, 2024
De Tegel Storimans
Nominated, 2023
Rabo Photographic Portrait Prize
Nominated, 2022
Rabo Photographic Portrait Prize
Winner, 2019
LensCulture Portrait Awards
Winner, 2018
ADCN
Nomination craft photography, 2018
National Portrait Prize
Nomination, 2017
Lens Culture
Jurors’ Pick, 2017
Rabo Photographic Portrait Prize
Winner, 2019
LensCulture Portrait Awards
Winner, 2018
National Portrait Prize
Nomination, 2017
Lens Culture
Jurors’ Pick, 2017
Rabo Photographic Portrait Prize
Winner, 2019
LensCulture Portrait Awards
Winner, 2018
ADCN
Nomination craft photography, 2018
National Portrait Prize
Nomination, 2017
Lens Culture
Jurors’ Pick
Press
The Guardian
My Best Shot
Lampoon Magazine
Robin de Puy, beyond the Stereotype
Creative Boom
Lens of compassion: Robin de Puy's photography series reframes the American story
The New Yorker
A Joyous, Mysterious Portrait of Rural American Boyhood
See All This
An Intimate Conversation w/ Marina Abramovic
De Volkskrant
Robin's Road Movie
Past exhibitions
The National Maritime Museum
February 23 - January 2025
Stedelijk Museum Zutphen
Water & Meer
Zutphen, The Netherlands
Masterly women, group exhibition
Stedelijk Museum Schiedam
Schiedam, The Netherlands
25.05.2019 – 30.06.2019
MARVELOUS MISFITS - group exhibition
Naarden, The Netherlands
02.02 2019 – 16.03.2019
LOVE ME - solo exhibition
THE RAVESTIJN GALLERY
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
26.01.2018 – 13.05.2018
RANDY - solo exhibition
Bonnefantenmuseum
Maastricht, The Netherlands
17.06.2017 – 20.08.2017
LOOKING FOR AMERICA
Museum Hilversum
Hilversum, The Netherlands
15.09.2016 – 30.10.2016
UNCLE JAN
Breda’s Museum
Breda, The Netherlands
22.10.2016 – 26.02.2017
If This Is True (selection)
Girlgaze / Annenberg Space for Photography
Los Angeles, USA
21.09.2016 – 25.09.2016
If This Is True (selection) - PHOTOVILLE
Brooklyn Bridge Park - New York, USA
01.03.2016 – 26.06.2016
If This Is True - solo exhibition
The Hague Museum of Photography
The Hague, The Netherlands
25.03.2014 – 13.04.2014
The Art of Energy
Pulchri
The Hague, The Netherlands
19.01.2013 – 03.03.2013
Zilveren Camera
The Hague Museum of Photography
The Hague, The Netherlands
10.01.2013 – 17.03.2013
MOAM&FOAM FOAM Editions
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
01.04.2010 – 15.04.2010
De Westergasfabriek Amsterdam
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
25.03.2010 – 24.04.2010
De Winkelhaak Antwerpen
Antwerpen, Belgium
29.08.2009 – 25.10.2009
Nederlands Fotomuseum Rotterdam
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
05.09.2009 – 20.09.2009
Fotomuseum Den Haag
The Hague, The Netherlands