What about liberty?
It's often difficult to reach humans deeper frames. It has been proven effective to engage people on a philosophical and emotional level to make us reflect on our existence. I have been inspired by Street Art and Art Performance through this project. During one month I worked daily with public installations and Art Performace on the streets of New York. Through self-portrait I wanted to highlight the social inequality and over-consumption.
I think that the biggest problem is that people do not understand how much our living effect our planet. Man must have to confront the idea that we are victims of our own actions. The Statue Of Liberty is a strong symbol for freedom. But what is freedom to you? Where do liberty go? I wanted to convey both irony, humor and may evoke strong feelings of discomfort to get reactions. And I did.
Assistant during the performance, Kamila Schneltser.
Act Don't Talk
Human impact on theenvironment and the global imbalance in the world require new ways to getpeople to reflect on their existence. During august 2016 I created photo sessionswith protesting Barbie dolls on the streets of New York.
We have a responsibility as humans. Unfortunately,no threats can be defeated if we do not understand them. Many people deny thatclimate change even exists and refuse to leave their comfort zone, making aselfish choice where consumption is limitless and believe in infinite resourcesfor human kind.
I was hoping to inspirepeople that the little actions matters and that it is actually our duty ashuman beings to change our way of life. The reactions were strong and the responsefrom the public audience was enormous.
All behind the scenes pictures from this project were taken by my photoassistant, Kamila Schneltser.
Bacon Is Over
I think that it is more efficient to work from different directions in order to disseminate information, trying to find new ways to communicate with the viewer and audience. For this project, I have collaborated with the organization Animal rights. I support their work and want in my own way, help in the struggle for animal rights. I hope to contribute to the debate on the pigs’ situation in the meat industry and that people start to think about their own position on this issue.
I want to shine a light on the cruel realities of the pigs in the meat industry. It is an issue that has become increasingly important to me. We live in an era where we have to start thinking in a larger perspective and understand that our actions as individuals actually matter on a bigger scale. What we choose to do can be crucial for the animals welfare.
I have photographed five people disguised with a pig mask. The series depicts a group of demonstrating, they are creating an army to rebel and to improve their situation. These individuals will act pigs’ extended arm, the voice of the animals. I call the project "Bacon Is Over". The title is inspired by Yoko Ono and John Lennon quote "War Is Over - If You Want It" from the demonstrations against the Vietnam War.
Visit Animal Rights for more information.
Nobody - It Can Happen To Anybody
I have photographed miniatures in typical Malmo(Sweden) environments where I try to highlight the poverty that exists around us. I have chosen to keep the dolls gender neutral and call it Nobody. I call the project; "Nobody - It Can Happen To Anybody". There are often prejudices about which people are in danger of having this happen to them, but I believe that life can turn quickly for all of us in different ways. It's important not to forget that we are all humans.
I want to show the "little" person in problematic contexts in which there are great injustices and prejudices. Through my photographs I want to influence the general public as well as politicians to in a compassionate way help these people in need. I also hope to reach out to the younger ages, because I think that it is in the future generations that we somehow need to talk about solidarity.
I have seen how these gaps between people's living conditions are growing, how more and more people are forced to beg for money in order for their families to have a better life, or to actually be able to survive in their home countries. A worrying development that affects us all, not only in Sweden but throughout Europe and that means that we must engage ourselves. I feel great empathy for the atrocious conditions the homeless are forced to live under and the sense of powerlessness many of us who have faced this problem feel.
Last African Giants
During the 1900's the number of elephants wase greatly reduced, mainly due to the large ivory trade. Currently about 100 elephants are killed every day. Therefore, the African elephants have drastically reduced in numbers. The elephants exist in more than 30 countries in Africa today, but if this amount of poaching continues there will in ten years only be elephants in 6-8 countries. The brutal hunt for elephants has reached record levels. According to the latest estimates, approximately 35,000 elephants are killed each year. This means that every 15 minutes an elephant is killed by poachers. There are several large protected areas such as national parks to monitor the elephants but even here the elephants aren't safe.
Man is the elephant's greatest enemy, but in Asia it is primarily the shrinking living space that is creating conflicts with the local people. Here, elephants are killed most often when farmers must protect their crops. In Africa however elephants are killed by those who earn big money from ivory. Ivory is used for various purposes such as beautifully carved figures that are popular in China. The main imports come from Thailand, Vietnam, China and Egypt.
My pictures are another way to stimulate debate in this fast and worrying development. This systematic eradication of our last walking mountain of muscle, must stop before it is too late.
Visit SAVE THE ELEPHANTS for more information.
Source: Reports: Ivory´s Curse and Out of Africa, August, 2014, by wwf.se.
Lost Society
I frequently use Barbie dolls to highlight various political issues. During my education as a photographer specializing in fashion and advertising, I have been inspired by the commercial expression in different ways. Lost Society is one such project. It is based on socially critical photographing in comical, sarcastic and absurd form. I want to address different problems in our modern society and demonstrate the various forms of vulnerability and the impact of over-consumption.
Looking Inside Out
For three weeks, I walked the streets of Stockholm, scouting fifty people that I photographed in a studio. I named the project ”Looking Inside Out”. It's about peoples appearance and how we want to be perceived, it's about daring to be different and standing up for who you are. With each person I photographed, I had a unique meeting. I let the people pose without any instructions in front of the camera so everyone had the same conditions. What has been so interesting is that a lot of people came with a well planned pose to the photoshoot, a pose they called ”their thing”. The idea was that they were going to show me who they are in one single picture. This project was photographed in 2013 and was later made into a book in 2015 in connection with my exhibition STOP AND THINK.
In this project, I wanted to work against bias, especially those applicable to peoples appeareance. Style and identity are two things that are very important in teens development. In todays society the juvenile period has become longer and it is more important than ever to express your style to show who you are. In the identity process we search for affiliation in different groups, at the same time we want to distinguish ourselves from others. Because of this we have different styles and subcultures where clothes, music, hobbies and friends are important identity markers.
We the people need to stop judging each other for what is considered normal or abnormal. We should instead accept the fact that we humans are all different and therefore unique.