Martijn Schmidt (2001) is a documentary photographer based in the Netherlands. He began photographing at the age of ten, inspired by the Czech landscapes where he spent much of his childhood. In 2021 he enrolled at the University of Arts, Utrecht (HKU), where he specialized in documentary photography.
His work is rooted in an engagement with the other, which often leads to a deeper understanding of his own identity and his role within a narrative. Through portraits, landscapes and still lifes he explores how human practices, traditions and beliefs are shaped by and interact with the landscape around them. His work seeks to bring worlds closer together, inviting viewers to look differently and with openness to the stories of others. On a small scale, it aims to counter an increasingly polarized world.
In his project After Kytice, he explored his connection with a Czech village he considers a second home, engaging with recurring themes of belonging and the tension of being both insider and outsider.
Education
2022/2025 Photography - University of Arts, Utrecht
2024 Internship - Rob Hornstra
2022/2025 Photography - University of Arts, Utrecht
2024 Internship - Rob Hornstra
Exhibitions
2025 Hungry Eye Fair - Haute Photographie, Amsterdam
2025 Zomersalon - ’T Zwolse kunsthuis, Zwolle
2025 The Gallery - JC Decaux & HKU, Utrecht
2025 Graduation Exhibition - University of Arts, Utrecht
2024 PRELUDE - Academiegalerie, Utrecht
2025 Hungry Eye Fair - Haute Photographie, Amsterdam
2025 Zomersalon - ’T Zwolse kunsthuis, Zwolle
2025 The Gallery - JC Decaux & HKU, Utrecht
2025 Graduation Exhibition - University of Arts, Utrecht
2024 PRELUDE - Academiegalerie, Utrecht
Publications
2025 Pf Magazine #6 - After Kytice
2025 Zone Magazine - ZIVNE
2025 GUP Magazine - Fresh Eyes Talent
2025 Martijn Schmidt - After Kytice (Dummy)
2025 HKU Graduation Catalogue - Intersection
2025 Jonathan van Doornum - Dark There, Joyful Here
2025 Pf Magazine #6 - After Kytice
2025 Zone Magazine - ZIVNE
2025 GUP Magazine - Fresh Eyes Talent
2025 Martijn Schmidt - After Kytice (Dummy)
2025 HKU Graduation Catalogue - Intersection
2025 Jonathan van Doornum - Dark There, Joyful Here
Featured
2025 BOOOOOOOM - After Kytice
2025 Der Greif - Guestroom, ''The Dark Before Dawn''
2025 BOOOOOOOM - After Kytice
2025 Der Greif - Guestroom, ''The Dark Before Dawn''
Commissions
2025 Museum de Fundatie - Dark There, Joyful Here, Documentation
2024 Museum de Fundatie - Museum Murals, Documentation
2024 Museum de Fundatie - RESET, Documentation
2025 Museum de Fundatie - Dark There, Joyful Here, Documentation
2024 Museum de Fundatie - Museum Murals, Documentation
2024 Museum de Fundatie - RESET, Documentation