Photographers are often characterised by a talent for finding “the beauty in the mundane.” They are adept at picking out significant details from the messiness of everyday life, zooming in on things that might otherwise go unnoticed amidst the hustle and bustle. It’s this idea that guides self-taught filmmaker and artist Senay Berhe (b. 1979). Many of his works have emerged from simple settings – taken on the way to, or from, his home in Stockholm. Lampposts glow against deep red skies. Window blinds – cropped in close – form geometric shapes against the clouds. These are quiet and unassuming scenarios, where even telephone poles are given close attention. Berhe’s portraits, the subject of a recent show at Fotografiska, depict people looking off into the distance, illuminated by lights beyond the frame. You’re encouraged to ponder on what they are thinking. Berhe’s goal is for viewers to identify with the images; he wants us to see something of own lives within the compositions. senay.se

All images courtesy Senay Berhe.