Ilvy Njiokiktjien

About Ilvy Njiokiktjien:

Ilvy Njiokiktjien is a Dutch photojournalist, filmmaker, podcast host, and educator based in Utrecht. A contributing photographer to the VII Foundation, she has spent nearly two decades documenting social and political issues around the world through an intimate and compassionate visual style.

One of her most significant long-term projects is Born Free: Mandela’s Generation of Hope, in which she followed South Africa’s first post-apartheid generation. The project developed into a documentary, book, interactive platform, and traveling exhibition, offering a powerful portrait of a generation shaped by the legacy of Nelson Mandela and the realities of contemporary South Africa.

Njiokiktjien is currently working on a long-term project titled Receiving States, exploring places around the world where people migrate to and how migration reshapes communities, identity, and belonging.

Her work combines photography, film, podcasts, and immersive storytelling techniques to bring audiences closer to the people and stories she documents. She regularly teaches and gives masterclasses for organizations including National Geographic, the International Center of Photography, and the VII Foundation.

Njiokiktjien has received multiple World Press Photo awards and was named the first Photographer Laureate of the Netherlands in 2013. Her work has appeared in major international publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, and The Guardian, and has been exhibited internationally.

Discover more about her work and her book Born Free: www.ilvynjiokiktjien.com

VII Foundation: www.theviifoundation.org