The Birdman
This series shows portraits made in Suriname and the Netherlands, of many macho Surinamese men who are obsessed with their little songbirds. The ‘caged bird’ is the leading actor in songbird contests. In this ‘most popular sport in Suriname’ men from all segments of the population come together amiably, in peaceful combat over which bird sings the best and who wins the first prize. Stereotypical male attributes such as clothing, cars and motorcycles play an important role in this lifestyle but in the photographs by Jacquie Maria Wessels the men also reveal another side of themselves.
After the independence of Suriname in 1975 this pastime came to the Netherlands along with the Surinamese people. Both in Suriname and the Netherlands the contests are held very early on Sunday mornings: in Paramaribo on Independence Square, over to the Suriname River, and in the Netherlands on lawns in parks, especially designated for this, in Amsterdam, The Hague and other cities.
This series was on show in the Photo Route Bijlmer, an outdoor exhibition with 50 large format photographs in Amsterdam Zuid-Oost and in 2017 in a solo exhibition in the Surinamese Museum in Paramaribo. In 2010 the series ‘Birdman’ was on show at the PhotoBienniale in Greece in the main exhibition ‘Topos’ and in 2010/2011 it was part of the 'PhotoBienniale Restrospective' at the Museum of Photography Thessaloniki in Greece.
The analogue on 6x6 series 'The Birdman' is published in the Photo Book ‘Cityscapes + Birdmen’ by Voetnoot Publishers in Antwerp Belgium and internationally by Idea Books - ISBN 978-90-78068-662. The Book won two final awards in the international book awards (USA) in 2011.
