Juliette Bongers was born and raised in the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. She studied at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague and graduated in 1994 with an honours degree in Photography.

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She then worked as a photographer for several national and international ad agencies and magazines. Many of her projects were nominated for and won important national photography awards.

 

Beginning 2000 she started a collaboration with director and photographer Yani, under the name GIULIYANI.

Together, they create large photo works for both commissioned and personal projects. Juliette: “Commissioned projects are challenging and interesting, especially when I’m given free reign. In addition, I’ve always done a lot of personal work. For me, it’s a way of creating my own personal visual world.”

 

In 2016 she came up with the GODERT.ME concept and launched and expanded her business of pins and jackets. Juliette: “For years, I’ve had this black jacket that I’ve stuck full of pins I collected from all over the world. Continuous positive reactions made me decide to create my own collection of pins and combine that with the ultimate, handmade black tuxedo jacket.” Eventually this black jacket grew out to a high end clothing line.

 

In 2024 Juliette fully dedicated herself again to her passion for Photography: "I’m excited to be back on my Photography track, now focussing on portraying people in a way that unveils their unique being."

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