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Surrealism, Romanticism, Tranquillity, Melancholy, Hope, and Healing—these are all the qualities embodied in the work of Swedish fine art photographer Gabriel Isak. As part of the XV Florence Biennale, Isak will exhibit his photographs as one of the Guests of Honour.

Born in 1990 in Huskvarna, Sweden, and now based in Stockholm, Gabriel Isak began photographing in high school. Around the same time, however, he fell into the arms of depression and did not pick up the camera for seven years. A turning point came when he moved to the US in search of a change of environment. There, he gained a Bachelor’s degree in Photography at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where he rediscovered photography as his emotional outlet and started to create images inspired by human psychology, dreams, the unconscious mind, and his own experiences, especially the years he went through depression.

To realise a painterly photograph, Isak begins with sketching his concepts, selecting models, costumes, and props. This is followed by location scouting—a crucial step in crafting the dreamlike tone of his imagery. The desolate and gloomy scenery in his works is rooted in the landscape of Scandinavia, where he grew up. In order to capture the solitude and gloomy atmosphere, he works only in cloudy weather or at dusk or dawn. A signature element of his aesthetic is the dominant use of the colour blue, which imbues his images with a surreal, calming, and melancholic mood. His anonymous figures—often faceless—appear suspended in moments of stillness, allowing viewers to envision themselves as the subjects and reflect back on their own journey and experiences in life. Within his minimalist compositions, Isak shows a nuanced sensitivity to the dualism between colour and the human psyche. To him, black represents darkness, the unknown, and the darker side of ourselves that everyone tries to live in; blue, on the other hand, conveys loneliness, sadness, existentialism, and the origins of the self. Through his visual iconographies rich in symbolism and emotion, Isak aims to illuminate mental health and experiences that people dealt with daily.  

Gabriel Isak has exhibited his work in solo exhibitions around the world, including Galerie XII in Shanghai, Paris, and Los Angeles. In 2024, he had his very first museum exhibition at Falsterbo Photo Art Museum in Sweden, where his work is held also in their permanent collection. In addition, his photography has earned him several awards including Winner in PX3 Prix de la Photographie 2024, 1st place winner in Fine Art Photography Awards and Rangefinder Fine Art Photography Awards, Finalist in Hasselblad Masters Award 2023 and in 2018 he received PDN Emerging Photography Award. His photographs have been featured in many prestigious platforms such as “Juxtapoz Magazine”, “Vice Magazine”, Adobe, “Photo District News” (PDN), and “Elle” magazine. Isak travels around the world for personal and commissioned projects.  

www.gabrielisak.com/