I'm a visual artist and photographer based in Örebro, Sweden. People have always been at the centre of much of my art, and portrait photography has become an increasingly important part of my work. I'm drawn to faces, expressions, light and atmosphere, and I enjoy what happens when another person becomes part of the creative process.
My background is in drawing and painting, and that influences the way I approach photography. I went to art school in the 90s and worked as an artist for a few years before eventually finding my way into IT. I've continued making art ever since, and in recent years photography has taken up more and more of my creative time.
Much of my recent photography has grown out of portrait sessions with friends, family and people around me. I enjoy the collaborative side of these sessions, experimenting with ideas, light, clothing, expressions and atmosphere together. I'm less interested in following a particular photographic formula than in making portraits that feel individual to the person I'm photographing.
Photography also remains a kind of sketchbook for me. I use photographs as references for drawings and paintings, but just as often the photograph becomes the finished artwork. Outside the studio, I still enjoy taking my camera with me and looking for images in the world around me, especially when the light makes me stop and look.
I work as a developer alongside my creative work, and I run separate sites for my drawings and paintings. Photography, art and technology have all been part of my life for a long time, although this website is simply a place for my photography.
I hope you enjoy my work.
Mattias Wirf
