Curated by Lucia Nankoe, “Augusta Curiel—Yere Mi Sten” is on view at Foam (an international photography museum located at Keizersgracht 609, 1017 DS Amsterdam) until November 6, 2025.
As Foam reports, “Augusta Curiel (1873-1937) was one of Suriname’s first women photographers, running a highly successful photography studio in Paramaribo together with her sister Anna (1875-1958). The exhibition offers a contemporary perspective on the people and landscapes of Suriname as captured through the lens of the ‘Curiel Sisters’ in the early twentieth century. Featuring both well-known and rarely seen images, this exhibition highlights their versatile practice and unique role in Surinamese society during the Dutch colonial era.”
Description: Using a large plate camera on a wooden tripod, Augusta Curiel captured thousands of photographs in her Paramaribo studio and in various locations between 1904 and 1937, with the help of her sister Anna. Renowned for her strong sense of composition and technical skill, Augusta Curiel was widely commissioned to document the people and everyday life of Suriname. Her work spans a range of subjects—from special occasions and official events to religious missions, plantation labor, cityscapes, expeditions into the interior, and industrial infrastructures.
The exhibition presents vintage photographs, modern reproductions, postcards, and photo albums from various private lenders and museum collections in the Netherlands.
In 2022, Foam presented the exhibition Surinamese Wedding Portraits in collaboration with guest curator Lucia Nankoe. Her ongoing research on Augusta Curiel serves as the foundation for the new exhibition Augusta Curiel Yere Mi Sten.
For more information and photos, see https://www.foam.org/events/augusta-curiel
[Shown above: Arrival of the steamship HM Hertog Hendrik on the Suriname River near Paramaribo, 6 February 1928 © Koninklijke Verzamelingen Den Haag.]
Curated by Lucia Nankoe, “Augusta Curiel—Yere Mi Sten” is on view at Foam (an international photography museum located at Keizersgracht 609, 1017 DS Amsterdam) until November 6, 2025. As Foam reports, “Augusta Curiel (1873-1937) was one of Suriname’s first women photographers, running a highly successful photography studio in Paramaribo together with her sister Anna (1875-1958).
