An enduring collaboration changes the way we see.
For Bastiaan Woudt and Tinotenda Mushore, known as Tino, returning to the studio over a decade has allowed a shared visual language to develop, bringing the body, texture, and sculptural forms into constant dialogue.
The exhibition Tino 10 Year Show gathers fifteen photographs from this creative relationship, revealing how it has evolved.
Their first encounter began with an open call on Facebook. Mushore had repeatedly faced restrictions from modeling agencies, which admired her photographs but rejected her because of her height. Woudt’s invitation included no requirements concerning height, ethnicity, or appearance. That openness led to a session that would mark the beginning of a lasting collaboration.
Trust as Part of the Process
Almost every image was created in the same studio in Alkmaar. The continuity of the space has provided room for experimentation: gathering materials, building shapes, testing a composition, and dismantling it until a balance emerges. The photographs develop during these sessions through shared decisions and unexpected occurrences that sometimes offer surprising solutions.
Although the images convey stillness, Woudt describes a studio filled with music, conversation, and energy. Mushore actively participates in the process, adapting her movements to an approach in which a slight shift of the shoulder or chin can change the entire composition. Their accumulated familiarity allows them to work with this precision while retaining spontaneity.
Between the Body and Sculpture
The selection reveals a transformation that the photographer himself recognized when arranging the works. Skin, hair, and grain dominate the earliest images. Objects then become increasingly prominent: in Cycle II (2020), the face becomes a silhouette between two white discs; in Fold (2022), the body almost disappears beneath a pleated structure. The most recent photographs return to gesture, fabric, and a more visible bodily presence.
Tino Crown (2016), the earliest work in the exhibition, embodies a defining aspect of this relationship. The face remains hidden, yet Mushore’s identity is still recognizable. Her back and hair anchor an image that asks how much a portrait can reveal without showing a face.
The exhibition invites viewers to consider this evolution as the outcome of an exchange. Over the years, Woudt and Mushore have found new possibilities within the same encounter: one person before the camera, another behind it, and an image that depends on the involvement of both.
Tino 10 Year Show will be on view at Studio Woudt in Alkmaar from October 30, 2026, to March 31, 2027. The opening takes place on October 30, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., with advance registration required. Further information is available at Studio Woudt. [Official Website]
