Personal

Ubuntu

In August 2015 I was invited to a wedding by my friend Tracy. I was introduced to the warm, unabashed approach to life of the Congolese community in Belgium and the Bantu concept “Ubuntu”: that you only really become human when you are connected to everything and everyone.

The concept of Ubuntu seems to intertwine with the desire to belong to a group and maintain a group identity in a changing environment. Showing the ambiance but also the silent moments in between, I tried to capture the feeling of an event that seems like a true celebration, focused on joy and ritual and not on the need for a perfect venue.

This project wants to place the viewer in an environment that most have experienced at one time or another at a wedding, party or a wake.

Read the full essay here.

Jean en Jeanine

What love at first sight is like at the age of 80? Against many odds: virtual, unexpected and thrilling. A year after the passing of his wife, Jean Vos (80) gathered his courage to look for love again. Going against the stereotype of being too old for Tinder, Jean gave the app a chance and found that the pool of potential dates was meagre. With more luck on Facebook Dating, it wasn’t long before he met 76-year-old Jeanine Stevens.

The day Jean saw Jeanine’s photo, he sent her a “hello” without hesitation. Jeanine replied immediately. In no time, they were on the phone planning their first date. Since that day, a little over a year ago, they haven’t gone without seeing each other. With age comes the realization that time is precious.

And so it is that these two lovers show a whole new world, at an age when the world usually gets smaller.“We enjoy the little things. I'm happy when Jean is happy. We have one big advantage: at our age we don't have to do anything anymore. We don’t experience the pressure that some young couples may experience. We simply enjoy each other's company" says Jeanine, to whom the unexpected love with Jean feels like the blessing she was waiting for all her life.

Ongoing projects

Assignments

Portraits

Natali Broods
actress
De Morgen Magazine

Flo Windey
host Studio Brussel
DeMorgen Magazine

Muller Van Severen
design duo
DeMorgen Magazine

Philippe Herreweghe
dirigent
DeMorgen Magazine

Freek de Jonge
comedian
DeMorgen Magazine

Boris Van Severen
actor
Knack Focus

Ward Kerremans
actor
Knack Focus

Naima Joris
singer
Goed Gevoel

Steven Van Gucht
virologist
Knack

Herman Van Rompuy
politician
KNACK

Martha Balthazar
writer
KNACK

Stella Bergsma
writer
KNACK

Rebekka De Wit
performance artist
KNACK

Kurt Van Eeghem
presenter
KNACK

Soumaya Ahouaoui
performance artist
Volkskrant Magazine

Gabrielle Blair
writer
de Volkskrant

Linde Merckpoel
radio host
De Morgen

Riadh Bahri
anchor Het Journaal
De Morgen Magazine

Fien Germijns
radio host
De Morgen

Meau Hewitt
singer songwriter
De Morgen

Wouter Hendrickx
actor
De Morgen Magazine

Thomas Heerma Van Voss
writer
De Morgen

Tsar B
singer
De Morgen Magazine

Stefan Hertmans
writer
de Volkskrant

Griet Op de Beeck
writer
de Volkskrant

Paul Magnette
politician
KNACK

Heleen Debruyne
writer
KNACK

Stany Crets
actor / writer
KNACK

Seppe Nobels
chef
KNACK

Caro Derkx
actress
de Volkskrant

Documentary

politie in Zeeland versterking zomer 2019
de Volkskrant

Segregatie in Rotterdamse scholen
de Volkskrant

Fedasil
Vluchtelingen slapen op straat
de Volkskrant

Memorial van Damme met Kim Gevaert en vluchtelingen
De Morgen

Bevrijding in Engeland, twee broers die ook elkaars neven zijn
de Volkskrant

Beiroet protesten
de Volkskrant

Thailand
de Volkskrant Magazine

Dansen in België

Pagnes

Publications

Jeroen Olyslaegers
DM Zeno

Wim Distelmans
DM Zeno

Flo Windey
DM Magazine

Jens Dendoncker
DM Magazine

Muller Van Severen
DM Magazine

Philippe Herreweghe
DM Magazine

Riadh Bahri
DM Magazine

Wouter Hendrickx
DM Magazine

Freek De Jonge
DM Magazine

Jean en Jeanine
DM Magazine

Ubuntu
DM Magazine

Boris Van Severen
Focus

Jean en Jeanine
de Volkskrant

Gabrielle Blair
de Volkskrant

Johan Frentz
de Volkskrant

Interrail
de Volkskrant

Lapland
de Volkskrant

Soumaya Ahouaoui
de Volkskrant

Thailand
de Volkskrant

Jennifer Heylen
De Morgen

Linde Merckpoel
DM Zeno

Meau Hewitt
DM Zeno

Nina en Eva Mouton
De Morgen

Mannen breien
De Morgen Magazine

Roze
De Morgen Magazine

School
De Morgen Magazine

Uitgaan
De Morgen Magazine

Regi
Focus

Asbest
Knack

Chateau Chine
de Volkskrant

Migranten in hongerstaking
de Volkskrant

Asielzoekers in Brussel
de Volkskrant

Caro Derkx
de Volkskrant

100 portretten
de Volkskrant

Polarisatie in de klas
de Volkskrant

Griet Op De Beek
de Volkskrant

Gaea Schoeters
de Volkskrant

Geert Wilders
de Volkskrant

Jacht onder vuur
de Volkskrant

Pepinster
de Volkskrant

Stefan Hertmans
de Volkskrant

Dansen in België
de Volkskrant

BIO & CONTACT

Photographer Rebecca Fertinel (1991, Bucharest) lives and works in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Her portraits and documentary images shed light on identity and belonging in different settings, on the stories behind the stories in personal and interpersonal relationships. Fertinel’s ability to ease subjects into meaningful sharing has, since before her graduation from KASK in Ghent in 2018, resulted in projects that went on to win several awards.

Her graduation project Ubuntu won the Sony World Photography Award, and an Unseen Dummy Award in 2018. Fertinel works for media such as de Volkskrant, De Morgen, De Morgen Magazine and Knack.

Extracting beauty even in chaos, Fertinel’s long and short-term projects equally show that there is more to photography than capturing the moment: it’s about looking for connections, for light and meaning in the most unexpected places.

Rebecca Fertinel

Based in Belgium & the Netherlands

+32 477 17 17 59

hello@rebeccafertinel.com

︎ instagram

Solo & Group exhibitions

WINNER OF THE SONY WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD - CATEGORY BRIEF
SHORTLISTED FOR BELFAST PHOTOFESTIVAL
SHORTLISTED FOR ATHENS PHOTOFESTIVAL
WINNER OF THE UNSEEN DUMMY AWARD 2018
2019 Booklaunch Ubuntu – I Am because We Are, Amsterdam, NL
2018 De Witte Muur, Ghent BE
2018 Twens, Leuven BE
2018 Family Of No Man Cosmos, Arles FR
2018 Graduation Kask, Ghent BE
2018 Camping In The Millimeters Kingdom, Ghent BE
2018 Why So Serious BXL, Brussels BE
2017 New Dutch Photography Talent, Amsterdam NL
2017 Pagnes, Brussels, BE
2016 Made By, Ghent BE
2015 Sleights, Ghent BE

Publications

GUP Magazine
British Journal of Photography
AINT-BAD
PH MUSEUM
C41 Magazine
HUCK Magazine
BRUZZ
It’s Nice That

Books

UBUNTU - I Am because We Are (Packshots - Buy it here)

REBECCA FERTINEL