Teun Voeten is a Dutch photojournalist and anthropologist known for his extensive coverage of conflict zones and marginalized communities around the world. Born in the Netherlands, Voeten’s interest in photography was sparked during his studies in cultural anthropology and philosophy at Leiden University. He honed his skills while working as a photo-assistant in both Holland and New York, where he studied at the School of Visual Arts in 1989.
Voeten’s career took off in New York, where he began working for magazines such as Details and High Times, covering a range of subjects from political movements to social unrest. He later conducted fieldwork in a gold digger community in the Ecuadorian Andes, which influenced his decision to pursue a master’s degree in cultural anthropology.
Throughout the 1990s, Voeten covered conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, Haiti, and Rwanda, capturing powerful images that brought attention to humanitarian crises. In 1994, he immersed himself in the lives of homeless individuals living in a railway tunnel in Manhattan, resulting in his acclaimed book “Tunnel People.”
Voeten’s work expanded to include “forgotten wars” in Colombia, Afghanistan, Sudan, and Sierra Leone, which he documented in his photo book “A Ticket To.” He also delved into the issue of child soldiers in Sierra Leone, culminating in his book “How de Body? Hope and Horror in Sierra Leone.”
In the early 2000s, Voeten reported on human rights violations, conflict diamonds, and trafficking in countries such as Colombia, Afghanistan, and the Balkans. He embedded with the US army in Baghdad during the Iraq War and covered various global events, including the Arab Spring, the war in Syria, and the rise of ISIS.
Voeten’s photography has been featured in prestigious publications such as Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and National Geographic, and his work is used by relief organizations worldwide. He has received numerous awards for his contributions to journalism and continues to lecture at universities and cultural institutions globally.
In recent years, Voeten has focused on drug violence in Mexico, producing a documentary and publishing a book titled “Narco Estado. Drug Violence in Mexico.” He has also explored new mediums, curating exhibitions and conducting academic research on topics related to drug-related crime and global trends in drug-induced disintegration. In 2018, he earned his PhD from Leiden University for his thesis on the Mexican drug violence, further solidifying his reputation as a leading voice in the field of conflict journalism and anthropology.
Newsweek / NGM Reporter
(2000-2009)
Drug violence in Mexico
(2009-2012)
Welcome to the Jungle
(2015-2016)
