Jasmine Carder will take you on an exploration through our backlist during her internship in a new series: Moments, which will also be shared on our Instagram @japsambooks. Below you can read her fourth entry, a moment in Diamonds are not for everyone by Kees de Goede.

04|04|2025

[TW: selfharm] Hello again! After a little break, I’m happy to be back with another moment, this time from Kees de Goede’s Diamonds are not for everyone.

This book is a catalogue of Kees’ ongoing project, spanning over forty years, in which he responds to newspaper spreads with his own artworks. The responses vary: sometimes a headline inspires him, sometimes a striking photo, and sometimes a major news event. In all cases, Kees layers his art directly onto the spread that caught his attention.

The artworks are striking. He transforms the wrinkles of an elderly woman into a grungy expanse of lines you could lose yourself in, and renders scientific findings as sprays of dripping color. But what impresses me most is how—when comparing the original spreads to the finished pieces—he amplifies the existing emotion, deepening its impact even as he strips away the text.

Take the spread inspired by the headline “Cutting yourself to feel calm.” At first glance, its simplicity and deep, shadowed colours create a sense of stillness. Yet the blood-red palette, four clean gashes, and a limp hand immediately betray its reference. That duality is masterful: the initial calm, quickly followed by the realisation of the gravity of what you’re seeing, then the flicker self-disgust for enjoying the image, and then despite the shame, you keep looking anyways. Without a single word, it captures the title completely.

There are three essays preceding the 99 drawings. The writings by Tommy Wieringa, Hans den Hartog Jager, and Nanda Janssen introduce the artist and his work, providing context and analysis. After these opening pages, the book is dominated by the drawings themselves, inviting you to simply flip through and sink into the large images. It’s both engaging and relaxing, and I’d highly recommend the experience to anyone in search of reflection or inspiration for their own artistic ventures.

Have a sunny weekend,
Jasmine