My practice turns to urban and social environments, and the aesthetics underlying our everyday world. I move between documentary and a more contemplative, abstract register, in both colour and black-and-white. Drawn to details within the wider picture, I aim to capture and explore the boundaries where observer and observed seem to naturally fade.

Born in Rotterdam in 1971, I spent years at sea as a captain on sailing passenger ships, followed by roles in maritime management and aviation. ‘The Salt of the Earth’ - the film on Sebastião Salgado - was a turning point that decisively led me to photography in 2015. A need to slow down eventually brought me to Portugal, where photography has now settled at the centre of my daily life.

Invited to share my work, I held my first exhibition last year and am currently preparing for a second at a local art gallery. I shoot with Canon mirrorless, using modern lenses along with some cherished vintage glass. Recently I participated in a few workshops and also began exploring analog film.

Karsten Seven