“These images are about coping with obsessive-compulsive disorder,” says Helsinki-based
photographer Svante Gullichsen (b. 1994). “I reflect on acceptance, self-care, empathy,
self-destructiveness, anxiousness, anger, terror and the spectrum of emotions I’ve been
through during my healing journey.” In these deeply personal self-portraits, Gullichsen
positions himself amidst the vast forces of nature. His raw and emotive compositions play
out in and around the archipelago of Porvoo, taking viewers deep into the Finnish forest. In
one image, Gullichsen stares out from underneath a blanket of thick lichen. In another, he
clings to a rock against the crushing tide. There’s a sense of vulnerability and fragility – of
exposed bodies against the cold – as well as an undeniable inner strength and courage.
Hope is ever-present, as figures reach out to one another over violent rivers or embrace as
they wash up on the shore. This is about the power of holding on. svantegullichsen.com
Image credits:
1. Svante Gullichsen, Covered by Forest (Detail, 2016). Image courtesy the artist.
2. Svante Gullichsen, Crossing the Rubicon II (Detail, 2020). Image courtesy the artist.
3. Svante Gullichsen, Crossing the Rubicon I (Detail, 2020). Image courtesy the artist.
4. Svante Gullichsen, Eroding Forces (Detail, 2023). Image courtesy the artist.
5. Svante Gullichsen, Easy Prey (Detail, 2023). Image courtesy the artist.
6. Svante Gullichsen, Take Care (Detail, 2023). Image courtesy the artist.
