Martin Bogren

Martin Bogren has been recognised both in Sweden and internationally for his evocative black and white images. His photographs are at the same time raw and delicate, opposites that are united in the dreamy and atmospheric motifs that characterise Bogren. His projects often span several years, allowing him to deepen his relationship with the place, people or phenomenon he photographs, a combination of conceptual and documentary photography whose essence could be summarised as 'slow photography'. For example, Bogren returned for four years to his childhood village of Skurup in Skåne to portray the people and surroundings there in the 'Lowlands' project. Behind the documentary narrative, an increasingly personal story of childhood memories and adolescence emerged. Bogren was awarded the Scanpix major photo prize in 2011 for the project and the book was nominated for the Swedish Photo Book Prize in 2014.
Similarly, during a series of summers (2013-2018) he returned to the Skåne countryside with 'August Song', glimpses of late summer folk park evenings. Later, he spent three years in Italy to create a visual document of the country and its people, emphasising classic street photography.

The "Tractor Boys" series is also based on the countryside, specifically teenagers who meet in fields and empty car parks to drive EPA tractors and rickety cars. Bogren's warm and insightful images capture the social codes of adolescence, the boredom, the flirting, the uncertainty and the freedom.

Bogren has also been acclaimed for his "Hollow" suite, where he spent 12 years taking pictures that show what the northern winter brings to people, for which he was awarded the Swedish Photobook Prize 2021. He has had numerous exhibitions around the world and is represented in the collections of Bibliothèque du Nationale, Paris, Oregon Fine Art Museum and Moderna Museet in Stockholm.