FB

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.