Faces of Rotterdam

Founded by photographer Robert Tjalondo, Faces of Rotterdam is an ongoing documentary portrait project about the people who make this city what it is. Rotterdam is known for its skyline, its port, its architecture. But the real strength of the city is its people.

In 2023, Rotterdam was home to more than 170 nationalities — more than any other city in Europe. The statistic was the starting point. The question behind it became the project: who are these people, why did they come, and what does Rotterdam mean to them now?

Behind every nationality, there is a face. Behind every face, a story — of why someone came, what they left behind, what they found here. People who feel Rotterdammer, while holding on to who they are.

The idea took shape in the summer of 2023. In January 2024, the first portraits were made. Through photography and personal interviews, Faces of Rotterdam has since been building a growing human archive of the city — one portrait per nationality, one story at a time. Not to document diversity as a statistic, but to show it as something lived, layered and deeply personal.

In 2025, the project was selected at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) through a short film, portrait panels and an exhibition. Since then, Faces of Rotterdam has continued to travel through the city, with presentations at Theater Zuidplein, exhibitions in community centres and neighbourhood venues, and as part of the municipal campaign Ik ben een Rotterdammer.

By moving beyond traditional exhibition spaces, the project continues to meet the city where it lives: in its streets, its neighbourhoods and its people.