Tahné Kleijn

‘As the old have sung, so pipe the young’

I grew up in a troubled and broken family, with financial problems and addictions. It was also a very loving family. Loyal and proud, helping each other out.

I’m not alone. In over 10% of families, at least one parent and one child suffers from financial troubles, addictions or mental issues. One out of ten! But no-one talks.

‘Soo d’oude songen, soo pypen de jonge’ is an old Dutch proverb, expressing the persistence of behaviour across generations. I want to show my family in all honesty. Their problems, but also their warmth and cosiness. I was inspired by Jan Steen (1626-1679) who depicted problems of his time, painting his own family –much like me. My series is a modern ‘Household of Jan Steen’ (another Dutch expression for a chaotic family).

I started the series in 2015, during my graduation. I depicted common family problems, intending to come back every five years. Many things changed since then, for better and for worse as things go. This series shows old and new photographs.