Meet meryem slimani | photographer & art director

We had the good fortune of connecting with meryem slimani and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi meryem, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I am as they say a high functioning anxious person that is also dealing with depression and ptsd so I see risks and dangers everywhere which might keep you in a constant state of terror and always opting out of anything out of your comfort zone. But contrary to that I somehow always jumped into things even though they scared the living hell out of me. I remember throwing up before every ballet and violin recital when I was a kid but also hyperventilating in rollercoasters or ziplines. Being scared never seemed to be something that held me back but it has always cost me a whole lot of energy and effort to still do whatever it was that freaked me out even until this day. What I learned in therapy is that repetition makes things less scary and that is very much true (only not for rollercoasters lol) When I was at my heaviest low point I realized that that “comfort zone” of sleeping all day and feeling awful was far from comfortable anymore and I needed to get out of that comfort zone which was a big risk because that meant saying yes to things and going out in the world in a time where all I wanted to do was hide. But once I started very small and that felt okay more cool (and scary!) things started following and with every little risk I took I survived and the panic attacks became less severe leading up to those events. Long story short, without risks I wouldn’t be doing what I do today I truly believe that each action has a chain reaction sort of like a domino, you won’t be able to move ahead if you stay in one place so take the risk.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
From a young age I always wanted to share my story, I remember being in kindergarten fresh out of Morocco and not able to speak any dutch but when the group circle started and the teacher asked if you wanted to tell something about your weekend etc I would tell it in Arabic even though nobody understood me. That childlike feeling that every kid has of wanting to be seen and heard is still part of us when we are adults otherwise apps like TikTok/ig/fb would not exist today. In my own way this is how I am telling the world my/our story. And whether they get it or not whether they like it or not I will keep sharing it. That is probably what sets my work apart too, everybody can see something of themselves in it. You don’t have to be Moroccan or Muslim, people from all over the world and all kinds of backgrounds/ethnicities recognize (parts of) their stories in ours. I don’t feel proud of myself a lot, it’s probably a little mix of dutch calvinist mentality and moroccan mother perfectionism that makes me downplay a lot of my accomplishments. Also because those accomplishments were never really on my list or vision board or whatever. There are photographers who worked for countless years but never made it to any museum or gallery yet here I am being part of the honorary gallery for dutch photography and having solo exhibits etc. I would never dare to dream of these things so maybe that’s why it all still feels a little surreal because it happened without it being part of a bigger career plan. The most important thing I learned is to say no when something doesn’t feel good and don’t be scared of turning things down because something better will come along the way at some point. What I hope to leave behind in people’s hearts is some joy and also the hope or inspiration to be vulnerable, have fun, to not hide, to be proud of their most unique selves and to show another side of womanhood that isn’t always portrayed (in the best way) in media & politics.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
funny you ask this because I almost get this question on a weekly basis from people visiting Rotterdam!

eat/snack: lof der zoetheid, Bertmans, toko nobo, may fung, tai wu, Nour al shaam, qq bakery, louise petit, unfiltered, bun, round & round, panzero, boguette, simurgh ocakbasi & grill, Williams canteen, supermercado, de bonte koe, frites unique, frietboutique, Nikos

visit: kunsthal, wereldmuseum, depot Boijmans van Beuningen, villa zebra (for kids) Hiphophuis, theater rotterdam, bird, kino, cinema, tent, gallerie mama, mono, melly, fotomuseum, Maastunnel (there’s a very cool exhibit from DAR agency now where I’m part of and you can walk under the maas river from the west side of the city across to the south side which has some cool areas like Katendrecht and Afrikaanderplein)

sleep: citizen m, bruno, ame, hotel bazar, nhow, kingkonghostel

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
So many people! First of all my mother, without her support and willingness to take the center stage I would not be doing this today. Also Aruna Vermeulen and Hiphophuis which is a non profit organization in Rotterdam focused on hiphopculture that just celebrated their 20 yr anniversary , she is one of the founders but also happens to be my neighbor and friend that I always looked up to. She started something from nothing and was able to built a whole community turned institution out of a love for breakdancing and hip hop. For me that’s something I am trying to figure out as well, how to build a community and turn what I do into something bigger than photography something tangible that will outlive us and help future generations in some way. Can I also shout out my good friend Cye Wong Loi Sing, who was actually the one that pushed me out of my comfort zone by telling me to come in to his agency and just help out or do something for myself which was the starting point of my blog, a short lived YouTube channel but also my instagram page. His creative agency was a safe space for me in a time where everything was scary and that helped me to try out new ventures. Also he was the one that once asked me on a random subway ride ‘ what do you actually want to do with your life ‘ when I was about 28ish and had no clue what I was doing and somehow that moment always is stuck in the back of my mind. The writings of Maya Angelou and Fatima Mernissi guided me through adolescence and adulthood, I read their autobiographies and other works countless times and having these women of color going through life with such grace inspired me to live a big life too. The alchemist was also a very formative book that helped me believe in my own purpose and to start pursuing my own path.

Instagram: instagram.com/meryemsrwina

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meryem-slimani-0460994/