THEO TJONG (Artistic Photographer)

has held numerous expositions in The Netherlands, Surinam and Curacao. In recent years, a recurrent theme has been capturing the visual beauty of Surinam (nature of the rain forest as well as cultural events).

In the Seventies photographs from ‘Tjong’, at the time working in The Netherlands as ‘Tjong-Spaan’, were incorporated in the STICUSA collection. In 2006 the whole collection was entrusted to the Surinam Museum.

In 1975, the year Surinam gained its independence, STICUSA organised a solo-exposition of his photographs, in Surinam. In the same year, as part of the cultural exchange between The Netherlands and Surinam, STICUSA incorporated several of his pictures in the National Art Exhibition which also took place in Surinam.

Since 1993 ‘Tjong’ has hosted no less than seven expositions in art gallery Bremmer (Tilburg, The Netherlands); five of those were solo ones. He is also well known on Curaçao where he has shown his work several times. In 2004, upon an invitation from the Curaçao Museum, he held an exposition in the Snip Gallery, giving a snap view of his photographs. And in the Open workshop – Curaçao, Dutch Antilles in 2011.

Exhibition

‘Tjong’ has taken part in more than 50 exhibitions so far. Amongst the best known are:

‘Gallery Den Uil’ – Tilburg, The Netherlands (1971)

Art Market – Oirschot, The Netherlands (1973, 1974)

The ‘Doelen’ – Rotterdam, The Netherlands (1976)

Art Gallery Bremmer – Tilburg, The Netherlands (1993 – 1995 – 1997 – 2002 – 2003  – 2013)

National Art Gallery (STICUSA Collection) – Paramaribo, Surinam (1975)

National Art Gallery – Paramaribo, Surinam (2003 – 2009 – 2011)

From May 2010 a permanent photographic exposition - Open Air Museum, New Amsterdam, Surinam

Award

In 2004, he was short-listed for the Arch of Europe Award in the Gold Category ‘Quality and Technology’ granted by the international Selection Committee of Business Initiative Directions (BID) in Madrid, Spain.