BIOGRAPHY

1964 born in Amsterdam

Mother Femke Hora Adema Dutch (studied French in Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

Father Ardash Kakafian Armenian (painter, artist and architect, raised in Bagdad, Iraq)

1984 finished high school VWO Amsterdam Lyceum

1984 started a restaurant in Amsterdam with friends ‘De Luwte’ as a Chef

1986 lived 1,5 years in Thailand

1986 studied medicine and psychology UVA

1988 studied food and health

1988 studied Hypnotherapy at NLP College in Amsterdam (3 year master practitioner)

1993 met Jimmy Nelson in Greece

1993 travelled 3 years in China and Tibet. Wrote a book “Literary portraits of China’ for Shell

1993 studied Dzogchen Meditation, spend three months in Tibetan monastery

1994 started to invest in real estate

1994 married Jimmy Nelson

1996 worked at John de Mol productions as a personal coach to presenters and celebrities

1997 became a mother to my firstborn, my daughter Ardash Alaïa 

1998 started photography and advertising company ‘Nelson&Hora Adema’ with Jimmy

1999 second child, my son Naroush Nelson

1999 investments in real estate. Started my own building team for renovations

2002 third child, my daughter Alaïa Riva

2002 acquirde a house in Ibiza

2002 rheumatoid arthritis hits me. Two years in and out of a wheelchair

2003 moved to Ibiza, in the hope health gets better

2003 started new dieet and new type of medication (biologicals). Health improves drastically

2005 moved back to Amsterdam

2005 started extensive Tibetan Buddhistic education and meditation

2005 started new company “Jimmy Nelson Pictures’ as CEO. Photographing extinguishing tribes worldwide

2007 published the bestseller “Before they pass away” with Jimmy Nelson

2010 started and founder of “Jimmy Nelson Foundation”

2012 started publishing house “Jimmy Nelson publishing”

2014 started to work out intensively

2017 divorce Jimmy Nelson 

2018 published ‘Homage to Humanity” with Jimmy Nelson

2019 started my life coaching practice ‘Ashkaine Hora Adema’ in Amsterdam and Ibiza