Stefan Bladh’s photographic work is an intuitive exploration of emotional and existential states. Rooted in a documentarian tradition, his images capture the quiet, often overlooked moments of everyday life—those spaces where the ordinary slips into the extraordinary. Through these scenes, he reflects on the fragility of the human condition, using photography as a way to understand the world and his place in it.
Bladh’s process is guided not by a fixed plan, but by a response to what unfolds around him. It is instinctive—a search for the emotional resonance of a moment. Often, he finds himself suspended in situations where meaning emerges slowly, without explanation. His distinctive color palette and cinematic sensibility lend the work a dreamlike, enigmatic quality, where beauty and vulnerability coexist.
Over the past two decades, Bladh has completed assignments for leading international magazines and news agencies while pursuing long, impromptu journeys across the Balkans, the Middle East, Ukraine, and Russia. These travels are not only geographic but deeply personal—an ongoing search for places and people that echo his own sense of longing and introspection.
In 2010 he released his first monograph - The Family. A documentary project and book about a nomadic family in Turkey he followed for nearly nine years. A project that got much attention worldwide and was published in magazines such as TIMES.
2017 he published the book Hidden Kingdom. The project was nominated to Oscar Barnack Award as well as the Swedish Photobook of the year 2018.
2019 his film ”Without desire, no image - a portrait of photographer Anders Petersen” had its premiere at Swedish Television, K-Special.
Stefan Bladh is a photographer, filmmaker, and artist based in Stockholm Sweden.
1. The Family Nouvel Publishing ISBN 978-91-978263-0-3. Released april 2010. Awarded with the Swedish design award ”Swedish Book Art” and chosen in Photo-Eyes list Book of the year 2011
2. Irkutsk, Russia 28.06.14 Nouvel Publishing ISBN 978-91-978263-1-0. Released december 2014
3. Hidden Kingdom Kerber Verlag ISBN 978-3-7356-0395-1. Nouvel Publishing ISBN 978-91-978263-2-7. Released november 2017
4. Tokyo, Japan 2018.02.28 Nouvel Publishing ISBN 978-91-978263-3-4. Released november 2018
5. Envoi ISBN 978-3-7356-0864-2 Kerber Verlag. ISBN 978-91-978263-4-1 Nouvel Publishing Released oktober 2022
6. Turkiet 100 år - Drama utan slut ISBN: 978-91-7445-054-52 Atlas förlag. Released April 2023.
FILMS
Utan längtan ingen bild (Without longing no picture) A portrait of photographer Anders Petersen. 56 min. Premiere June 2019. K-Special SVT 2
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Romskt kulturcentrum, Stockholm, Sweden 2006 Arbetets Museum, Norrköping, Sweden 2007 Galleri London, Uppsala, Sweden 2007 Marmara Otel, Istanbul, Turkey 2007 Marie Laveau, Stockholm, Sweden 2008 Galleri Neun Plus, Berlin, Germany 2008 Galleri Format, Malmö, Sweden 2010 Zita, Stockholm, Sweden 2010 Härnösands Konsthall, Sweden 2011 Luma Kulturhus, Stockholm, Sweden 2011 KG52, Stockholm, Sweden 2011 Istanbul Hatirasi / Fotograf Evi Istanbul 2012 Black Door Gallery, Örebro, Sweden 2012 Gallery RALF, Stockholm, Sweden 2014 Freelens Gallery, Hamburg, Germany 2018 Black Door Gallery, Örebro, Sweden 2020 Galleri Kontrast, Stockholm, Sweden 2022
GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2002 - 2019
Galleri Optimon, Istanbul, Turkey Deutsch-Türkisches Forum, Stuttgart, Germany Galleri Kontrast, Stockholm, Sweden Bildens Hus, Sundsvall, Sweden Bursa University, Bursa, Turkey Yildiz University, Istanbul, Turkey Silver agency, Stockholm, Sweden Planket, Stockholm, Sweden Galleri Kontrast, FRAMED, Sweden Lodz Photofestival CFF, Stockholm, Sweden 2019 Galleri Kontrast FRAMED, Sweden 2019
FILM SCREENINGS
Liljevalchs, Stockholm 2019 - Anders Petersen documentation of exhibition ”Stockholm” Arvika Konsthall, Arvika 2020 - “Utan Längtan Ingen Bild”
RESIDENCES
Atelier de Visu, Marseille, France 2009 L.A.F, Prauge, Czech Republic 2009
SHORTLISTS Nominated for the Swedish Photo Book Award 2018 (Hidden Kingdom) Shortlisted and finalist for Elliot Erwitt Fellowship 2016 Shortlisted and finalist Photolucida 2015 with the serie Hidden Kingdom Shortlisted for Oscar Barnack Award 2012 with the serie Hidden Kingdom Shortlisted Fotofestiwal Final 2012 Lodz with the serie Hidden Kingdom
PUBLISHED GUP 2015 / Hidden Kingdom (Then called Fiction) 1000 words blog 2014 / Hidden Kingdom (Then called Fiction) Leica Magazine 2012 / Hidden Kingdom (Then called Fiction) TIME Magazine Lightbox / The Family & Kaliningrad / Entropia
SCREENINGS Recountres D´Arle 2012 - Oscar Barnack Award / Hidden Kingdom (Then called Fiction) Lodz Photofestival 2012 / Hidden Kingdom (Then called Fiction)
GRANTS Helge Axson Johnson foundation 2005 and 2018 Längmanska foundation 2006, 2007 and 2011 Swedish Author foundation 2007, 2010 and 2018 Swedish Art Council 2008 Swedish Art Council 2009 Swedish Art Council for 2 year 2010 and 2011 Swedish Art Council for 2 year 2015 and 2016 Swedish Art Council 2020 Swedish Author foundation 2022