Global warming seems to cause an unprecedented catastrophe. The rising temperatures and falling precipitation has been shown to expand desert areas.

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'From the Dust lands' is the result of an extreme visual representation of a post-apocalyptic, deserted world. In this fictitious but realistic place, people survive in ruthless conditions. Drinkable water and other natural resources have become scarce and are protected by military power. An occasional ruin recalls the civilization that once prevailed.

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In my work I am interested in people who survive in these extreme circumstances. Their story can teach us a lot about the world in which we may live tomorrow. The images for this series have been shot in desert areas in Egypt and Ethiopia. In the middle of these godforsaken places I investigated the effect of the devastating climate elements on man and the landscape.

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The resulting series shows dusty, arid landscapes with a sign of human presence here and there. The images have been overexposed consciously and are reduced to topographical essence stimulate the alienation and distancing of the landscapes. It is therefore surprising that these shrewd images of a faded future have a certain magnificence and appeal. This contrast between uneasiness and beauty is also central to this series.

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Pieter Jan Meuwissen, 2018