BJÖRN WALLANDER PHOTOGRAPHER

PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW

PUBLISHED WORKS

SPECIAL PROJECTS

'WHAT MAKES A HOME' A TRAVELING EXHIBITION x BETTER SHELTER NONPROFIT

‘NO MATTER WHAT THEORY OF WELL-BEING ONE SUBSCRIBES TO, SHELTER IS A BASIC HUMAN NEED. HOWEVER, MANY OF THE WORLD’S 120 MILLION–PLUS REFUGEES DON’T KNOW WHERE THEY MIGHT FIND THEIRS NEXT. WHETHER SUDDENLY DISPLACED BY FAMINE, NATURAL DISASTER, OR WAR, THOSE URGENTLY IN NEED OF A SAFE PLACE TO STAY MUST OFTEN RELY ON REFUGE PROVIDED BY HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS. SUCH SHELTERS CAN RANGE FROM TENTED CAMPS TO ARCHITECT-DESIGNED HOUSING, ALL BUILT EASILY AND QUICKLY.

SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2010, SWEDISH NONPROFIT BETTER SHELTER HAS PARTNERED WITH THE IKEA FOUNDATION TO OFFER SUCH PROTECTION IN THE FORM OF FLAT-PACKED STRUCTURES, FABRICATED OF STEEL FRAMES AND INSULATED POLYPROPYLENE PANELS, THAT CAN BE ASSEMBLED IN A MERE FOUR HOURS TO CREATE NEARLY-200-SQUARE-FOOT GABLE-ROOFED LIVING SPACES. “ALTHOUGH OUR HOUSES ARE MEANT TO BE TEMPORARY UNTIL A NEW PERMANENT HOME IS FOUND, MANY PEOPLE LIVE IN THEM FOR SEVERAL YEARS,” REVEALS BETTER SHELTER FOUNDER JOHAN KARLSSON. “IT IS CLEAR TO US, FROM THE PEOPLE WE MEET IN OUR WORK, THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING ABLE TO SETTLE IN IS IMPORTANT FOR THE FEELING OF SOME KIND OF NORMALITY.” THUS, THE ORGANIZATION ENGAGED THREE PHOTOGRAPHERS—CI DEMIS, ALI HAJ SULEIMANS, AND AD CONTRIBUTOR BJÖRN WALLANDER—TO VISIT REFUGEE SETTLEMENTS IN BRAZIL, CHAD, INDIA, TURKEY, AND SYRIA AND TURN THEIR LENSES ON THE SHELTERS OF THEIR TEMPORARY RESIDENTS.’

ABOUT BJÖRN

BJÖRN WALLANDER IS A PHOTOGRAPHER BORN IN THE QUAINT, PICTURESQUE HARBOR TOWN OF VÄSTERVIK IN SOUTHERN SWEDEN. BJÖRN DEVELOPED AN INTEREST IN PHOTOGRAPHY FROM A VERY EARLY AGE. HOWEVER, HE INITIALLY BEGAN HIS STUDIES IN ENGINEERING, ONLY TO REALIZE QUITE QUICKLY THAT PHOTOGRAPHY WAS, IN FACT, HIS TRUE PASSION AND CALLING. IN ORDER TO ACTIVELY PURSUE THIS ARTISTIC ENDEAVOR, HE MADE THE SIGNIFICANT MOVE TO OSLO, NORWAY, WHERE HE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASSIST RENOWNED PHOTOGRAPHERS. AFTER SPENDING THREE FORMATIVE YEARS IN OSLO, HE DECIDED TO TAKE A BOLD STEP AND TRY HIS HAND AT ESTABLISHING HIMSELF IN NEW YORK CITY.

OVER THE LAST DECADE, BJÖRN HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO A VARIETY OF PRESTIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS AND HAS SHOT CAMPAIGNS FOR A VARIETY OF WELL-KNOWN LUXURY BRANDS. BJÖRN CURRENTLY RESIDES IN THE VIBRANT CITY OF NEW YORK. WHEN HE'S NOT BUSY SHOOTING CAPTIVATING IMAGES, HE CAN OFTEN BE FOUND BIKING OR SAILING SOMEWHERE BEAUTIFUL, ALWAYS WITH HIS CAMERA IN HAND, READY TO CAPTURE THE MOMENT.

REPRESENTED BY CARLENE MICHELETTO
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