As a little boy, Joost was not the consummate creative. “Except for my obsession with Lego bricks, of course.” He took his first steps towards creative work in secondary school. At that time, he was regularly asked to edit gameplays for others. A part-time job that sparked his interest in having his own camera.
The pandemic accelerated things. During the peak quarantine, Joost was 16 years old and wanted to go out. To explore the world. To build social connections. Everything that was impossible during that time. “Then I’ll just go out myself!” During that period, his mother bought him his first camera, and he started photography.

Joost gained knowledge from artist communities on Twitter and Instagram. This isolating period is certainly reflected in his photos. With COVID, connections were frowned upon, which you can see in the many self-portraits and the small world he inhabited: the village of Beusichem and the surrounding floodplains.

Meanwhile, Joost is a 3rd-year student at the St. Joost School of Art & Design Breda and has been living in Breda for just under half a year. The visual language that Joost uses in his work has developed naturally. He ventures out with a ‘vague idea’, arrives at locations that suit him or surprise him, and then an idea of images emerges.  
The final picture only comes together on the computer during digital post-processing. Joost draws inspiration from everything that occupies his mind. His work is a path that you try to find in a society that is increasingly driven apart.  A journey that he wants to give an optimistic twist to with playful visual language through fun and lighthearted work.

Journey
And how is his own journey in the city of Breda? St. Joost School of Art & Design Breda is really the nicest place for Joost. And with a room near the Mastbos, he can often be found in nature in his sports shoes. Or at the bouldering gym BRUUT. You always encounter someone there, and novice climbers and professionals encourage each other on their way to the top. And if there's a band playing at  Pier15? Then it might just be that you run into Joost.

His path to the future is still very much in development. Collaboration with others, the city of Breda, and the inspiring study environment of St. Joost Breda all influence his creative view of the world. Joost is not done exploring yet, and that offers beautiful perspectives for the future!

Joost Rutten's participation in the BredaPhoto International Talent programme resulted in a surprising phone call from a lecturer at the St Joost Academy; he had won! As colourful as his photos are, he is quite modest about his participation. “I also found the projects of my fellow students at the St Joost Academy particularly good. Art is not objective; no one person is the best or the worst. Apparently, my work this year fits well within the theme of Journeys.”