Søren Solkær

Søren Solkær, born in 1969, is a renowned Danish art photographer who is best known for his atmospheric and cinematic portraits. After studying at the prestigious FAMU Academy in Prague until 1995, he gained international recognition by working with major names in the music and film industry, such as Paul McCartney, Amy Winehouse, David Lynch and Adele. His work is characterised by a strong visual narrative style that often blurs the line between reality and fictional staging.

A key milestone in his career is the „SURFACE“ project, which was launched in 2015 and for which Solkær spent three years travelling the centres of the global street art scene, from London and New York to Sydney and Copenhagen. In this context, he portrayed over 135 pioneering icons of public art, including artists such as Shepard Fairey, Blek le Rat and Swoon. Solkær's approach is highly staged: He photographs the artists in the context of their own urban works, uses elaborate lighting on location and often integrates masks or props. In this way, he not only preserves the anonymity of the actors, who often work in secret, but also creates a hyper-realistic, almost cinematic atmosphere reminiscent of an imaginary cinema sequence.

In addition to „SURFACE“, Solkær has published numerous influential photo books, including „Black Sun“ and „Portraits 1993-2018“, which document his stylistic range between nature observation and portraiture. His work is exhibited worldwide and can be found in major collections such as the Royal Danish Library and the National Portrait Collection at Frederiksborg Castle in Denmark. Through his unique combination of painterly lighting and cinematic storytelling, Solkær has taken photography to a new, artful level as a medium for documenting urban art.

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