Floris Gies

The universal world lies at the heart of my work. By the everyday world, I mean everything in our immediate surroundings—places, objects, and moments that we often pass by without noticing. I work from situations that defy immediate explanation: small encounters with the world where something seems to take on a special significance, without making it clear why.

With my graduation project *De Jutter* (The Beachcomber), I explore a way of looking in which attentiveness takes precedence over control. To me, the beachcomber is not a character but an attitude: remaining present until something reveals itself. In this process, meaning does not emerge immediately but gradually—and sometimes only in retrospect. I am drawn to images that hold a sense of friction or lingering resonance; moments that appear small and insignificant yet carry a certain tension or sensitivity. It is precisely there that I seek to create space for wonder, doubt, and attentiveness. I want to invite the viewer to linger—not to grasp something instantly, but to experience how meaning can emerge when we stop searching and start encountering.