Koos Breukel, Me We

"Reminiscent of the Dutch portrait paintings of the 17th century, Breukel's simple, direct presentation is arresting in its simplicity and humility." Newsweek ME, WE was the full text of the improvised poem that Muhammad Ali delivered to a crowd of Harvard students in 1975. It can be interpreted as a cheerful tribute to life, expressing unity and at the same time individuality. Dutch photographer Koos Breukel (1962) chose it as the title for this book that assembles portraits from the first 30 years of his career, focusing on the circle of life: be born, grow up, develop and express yourself, love, suffer, and die. Koos Breukel is a portraitist of farmers and artists, newborn babies and politicians, the sick and the old. ME WE, with a poignant contribution by the prize-winning author Erwin Mortier, is Breukel's mid-career retrospective as well as his homage to life.