About the series

For over fifteen years, Henri has photographed people living with HIV. As image editor and photographer for Hello Gorgeous magazine, a volunteer initiative working to end HIV stigma, and through projects with the Dutch HIV Vereniging, Henri has met and portrayed hundreds of people who chose to be visible about their status.

His involvement is personal. Henri’s had two partners living with HIV and many close friends who carry the virus. In 1991, while studying International Business and working with government officials from Sweden, Henri looked around and felt so out of touch, and so much harm was being done to his community both at home and abroad, that he decided to try to spend his life more meaningfully. He changed the direction of his studies in the final months, against the advice of his mentors, and graduated on the subject of AIDS in Africa. Henri has stayed close to the cause ever since.

The people in these portraits are, to Henri, heroes. They are brave enough to be open about their status, and that openness matters. When someone is honest about living with HIV, it makes life easier for themselves and for others. It encourages testing. It breaks the silence. And silence is what keeps stigma alive, which keeps the virus alive.

Because the truth is simple: with medication, HIV is a chronic condition and you cannot transmit the virus. Not a death sentence, not a secret, not a reason for shame. The only thing left to fight is the stigma itself. These portraits are part of that fight.