Since our beginnings in 2019, wherever KLABU would go, Coco would join us with her camera. Our collaboration instantly became bigger than shooting a campaign, and more a mission to build a new visual language for how we see refugees that really sums up what we’re trying to do - positively rebuild their lives through sports.

Coco’s intrinsic curiosity for people is what has evolved the strong KLABU visual style. As she says herself, “you are not your situation. My photography is not going to change that situation, but it's hopefully going to change how we look at it.” Her images have indeed caught the eye of photography experts, which makes us so proud that Coco’s work is now being celebrated and exhibited on the world’s highest stage, with Foam Photography Museum Amsterdam.

She describes her photographic process as a method of challenging ourselves and our prejudices; “to always bring something that we didn’t know we could, or to show a person how they want to show themselves”. She doesn’t believe there’s a way a refugee should look.

Coco lets her subject handle the camera, play with and try it for themselves, so it’s not a thing that comes between them. She places great importance on everything that happens “before you press the button”, that this effort and relationship is the investment in the eventual picture, and the only way to truly allow someone’s personal expression to come through. 

She tunes into the energy of that person, lets the shoot become theirs, so it’s as if they’re just having fun. Coco likes to remain very flexible, as she feels too much organisation sucks the soul out of things - for her a photography shoot is always more of a social thing than a technical thing. Just natural lighting, nothing extra to be as intimate as possible. She likes to get low, making the person bigger in frame, so that they’re the total focus, with a larger than life attitude. It’s this ‘untrained’ and diverse background of Coco’s that’s helpful to make her work different - she doesn’t know any taught photography rules.

She didn’t know about photography for work then, but did know she wanted to go to art school. However, she was rejected for a place (where ironically she gives guest lectures now), so took the path of studying Human Geography & Urban Planning instead. 

In her people research, Coco ached to transform her findings into images rather than words, since as a dyslexic, imagery always made more sense as a form of expression for her. But a documentary was not allowed as a thesis form, it had to be written. While at university Coco instead found her way into improving the photography expression of the university magazine, becoming regarded by her peers as a go-to photographer.

Coco will pass on her knowledge and skills there, encouraging people to see that by using photography they can be in charge of their own visual story. She hopes this creative angle will provide KLABU members with a unique opportunity to focus on and learn something new, have a moment to get out of their life situation and forget troubles, through the medium of the camera. 

It’s an expression, a release, and in Coco's mind, just like the positive power of sport. The beautiful dream would be to eventually have a group exhibition drawn from the people of the camps, thought through so that they’re really the architects of the story they want to share with the world.

Coco will also give initial photography workshops this Saturday 22 June during World Refugee Week. If you’re around in our hometown, please don’t miss out: the workshops are at 13:30h and 15:30h at OBA Mercatorplein, forming part of our Unity Day agenda which celebrates the human potential shining through in the ‘Strength Away From Home’ exhibition. Come show your support and join the KLABU - we look forward to meeting and getting to know you.