Kjetil Karlsen

Norwegian Kjetil Karlsen grew up by a beautiful fjord surrounded by high mountains. It was, however, also a place where a strict belief in God prevailed and the fear of sinning ran deep. He says his creativity unfolded mainly out of curiosity and as a way to express his feelings. The artist inherited his love for photography from his grandmother, who always threw her failed or blurred photos in the bin. Karlsen took them out again because these were the images that fascinated him most.

works

Kjetil Karlsen’s photographs tell a story with shadows and movement. They are strongly intertwined with Norwegian nature and reflect the melancholy, loneliness and desolation in the country’s harsh north. Not infrequently, there is an overwhelming stillness in the contrasts and transitions between black, white and grey. The unifying element is emotion, drawn in through the absorption of light, darkness and time.