Artist Statement
My photographic work consists of series that explore how people respond to changes in their environment and surroundings, both major and small. These can be sociological or environmental shifts, sometimes so large and irreversible that individuals or communities are left with no choice but to adapt. But even subtle changes in the landscape or social fabric can have a deep impact on how people live, move, and relate. With surroundings I don’t mean only nature or the landscape. It includes the city just as much. My work focuses on how the environment, whether urban, rural, natural or constructed, shapes people, and how in return, people adapt to and reshape that environment.
At the same time, it explores how we influence and structure our surroundings. Cities are planned and built to serve human needs. Landscapes are altered through design or exploitation. Destruction often leads to forced change. This complex and reciprocal relationship between people and place lies at the core of my work.
In presenting my projects, I prefer to show images in series or sequences, allowing the photographs to speak through rhythm and accumulation. I often bring different bodies of work together in publications that highlight shared themes and contrasts.
Alongside these long-term projects, I regularly create short, intuitive photographic sketches. These take place in concentrated periods, typically one session per week across several weeks, where I challenge myself to create new work within self-imposed limitations. Like musicians who practice or performers who rehearse to stay sharp, I use these sessions to keep my vision flexible and my instincts active. The pressure of limited time helps me avoid overthinking. These sketches are not preparatory studies for larger work, but exercises in freedom and spontaneity.
What I enjoy most is immersing myself in a subject that connects to earlier themes while also pulling me into unfamiliar territory. I rarely know where a project will take me, but I trust the process. Photography brings me to places I would not otherwise reach. The subject takes the lead, and I follow. That journey, with all its detours and surprises, is often the most meaningful part.
