Kadir van Lohuizen (the Netherlands, 1963) is probably best known for his projects on seven rivers of the world and the diamond industry. He has received numerous prizes and awards in photojournalism. He is on the supervisory board of the World Press Photo foundation and has published four photo books including “Diamond Matters, the diamond industry” (published by Mets & Schilt Holland; Dewi Lewis UK; Umbrage editions USA) and “Rivers” (Mets & Schilt). Kadir is based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Before Kadir van Lohuizen became a photographer he was a sailor and started a shelter for homeless and drug addicts in Holland. He was also an activist in the Dutch squatter movement.

He started to work as a professional freelance photojournalist in 1988 covering the Intifadah.

In the years after he worked in many conflict areas in Africa, such as Angola, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Liberia and DR Congo. From 1990–1994 he covered the transition in South Africa from apartheid to democracy.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union Kadir covered social issues in different corners of the former empire. He also went to North Korea and Mongolia. In 1997 he embarked on a big project to travel the seven rivers of the world, from source to mouth, covering the daily life along these lifelines.

In 2004 he went back to Angola, Sierra Leone and Democratic Republic of Congo to portray the diamond industry, following the diamonds from the mines to the consumer markets in the western world. The exhibition travels not only in Europe and the USA, but also in the mining areas of Congo, Angola and Sierra Leone.

He also initiated a photo project in 2004 together with Stanley Greene and six other photographers on the violence against women in the world. In 2006 he co-founded the magazine The Issue with Stanley Greene.

Kadir has covered conflicts in Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere, but is probably best known for his projects on seven rivers of the world and the diamond industry.

Since hurricane Katrina happened he has made several trips to the USA to cover the aftermath of the Hurricane. Last summer, to mark the fifth commemoration of Hurricane Katrina, Kadir exhibited images of Katrina’s devastation and the aftermath in a truck-exhibition that drove from Houston to New Orleans in collaboration with Stanley Greene.

In 2011, Kadir started a visual investigation on migration in the America’s. For this he travelled from Terra del Fuego (Patagonia) to Northern Alaska. The project is available as an iApp. 

In 1998 Kadir won the most prestigious Dutch award in photojournalism ‘de Zilveren Camera’ for his story in Zaire on Rwandan refugees. For the same story he received the 2nd prize spot news stories at the World Press Photo.

Both in 2000 (Sierra Leone) and in 2005 (Diamond industry) he won the ‘Dick Scherpenzeel’ prize in Holland for best reporting on the developing world. In 2006 he won the prize for Investigative journalism in Holland and Belgium for his story on the diamond industry, for the same story he received a second prize, contemporary issues at the World Press Photo. In 2007 he won the “Kees Scherer' prize for the best photobook in Holland in the last two years. He also won a PDN annual award in the USA for his work in Chad, and the 2007 Visa D'Or in the news category for the same story.

In 2000 and 2002 Kadir was a jury member for the World Press Photo foundation. He has also taught several workshops for them.

2010 World tour exhibition (Denmark, Spain, Turkey, The Netherlands)
        Launched at the United Nations Climate Summit in Copenhagen in
        December 2009
        "Consequences by NOOR"

2010 Truck exhibition touring between Houston and New Orleans, USA
        "America's new diaspora"

2009 Maison de la Photographie Robert Doisneau, Paris, France
        "NOOR" collective exhibition

2009 Chobi Mela V, International Festival of Photography
        Dhaka, Bangladesh
        "Diamond Matters"

2008 Visa pour l'Image, Perpignan, France
        "Katrina Diaspora"

2007 Alternatilla Festival,Las Palmas, Mallorca, Spain,
        "217A" NOOR group exhibition

2007 Maison Robert Doisneau, Paris, France
        "Diamond Matters"

2006 HOST gallery, London,
        "Diamond Matters"

2006 Word Press Photo exhibition

2005 Various locations DR Congo, Angola, Sierra Leone
        "Diamand Matters"

2005 Visa pour l’Image, Perpignan, France
        "Diamond Matters"

2005 FOAM, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
        "Diamond Matters"

2004 L’Oeil sur Seyne, France
        "Les grands fleuves du monde"

2003 Kunsthal, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
        "Rivers"

2003 Institut Neerlandais, France
        "Les grands fleuves du monde"

2003 Group exhibition, Photofestival Skopelos, Greece
         "Rivers"

2003 War photography, St Petersburg, Russia

2002 Museum of Ethnology, Leiden, The Netherlands
        "The Nenets and The Gas Industry"

2001 Photo Festival Naarden, The Netherlands
        "Tibet"

2000 India International Centre, New Delhi, India

1999 Dutch Photo Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
        "Tibet"

1998 Word Press Photo exhibition

1997 Photo festival Naarden, The Netherlands
        "Surinamese family"

1997 Amsterdam Historical Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
        "Moroccan Family"

1994 City hall, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
        "South Africa"

1993 Museum of Ethnology, Leiden, The Netherlands
        "Mozambique"

1992 Canon Image Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
        "Mozambique"

 

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Museum of Contemporary Art, Amsterdam

Private collections

SBK foundation, Amsterdam