Biography & CV
–
Christoffer Relander (b. 1986, Ekenäs, Finland) is a Finnish visual artist working with multiple exposure photography. His images join the human figure with trees, plants and landscapes. They return to the same themes: childhood, memory and our bond with the natural world.
Relander grew up in the countryside of Ekenäs, among fields and deciduous trees. Oaks in particular recur in his work as symbols of time, growth and resilience. He came to art through street art as a teenager, in a family with no connection to the art world, during years when Finland's economic downturn left a visible mark on the communities around him. Art became a means of expression and, in his words, a form of personal survival.
He went on to study art and graphic design in Porvoo (2004–2007), where his training included darkroom and digital photography. His decisive turn toward photography came in 2008, during his service in the Finnish Marines. Early inspiration came from the multiple exposures of Charles Swedlund, Harry Callahan and Man Ray.
Since 2010 the in-camera multiple exposure has been central to his practice: two or more images layered inside the camera into a single composition. He describes the process as closer to composing keywords than writing sentences. Each image distills a state of mind, a memory or a feeling. The foundation remains in-camera, although some series also use digital methods. He often keeps his subjects anonymous, with faces turned away or obscured, so that viewers can bring their own memories to the work.
His best-known series include We Are Nature, begun in 2010, whose recent chapters merge portraits of his two daughters with the landscapes around them. Jarred & Displaced shows landscapes seemingly held inside glass jars, and Doubled Days is an ongoing visual diary made with a compact Ricoh GR. His current project, Alternature, brings these series together with living biospheres and music, in collaboration with an opera singer, a music producer and an ecologist.
Relander's work has been exhibited in Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East. Venues include the Beijing International Art Biennale at the National Art Museum of China, Åland Art Museum and Xposure International Photography Festival in Sharjah. His work is held in collections including Åland Art Museum and the Western Uusimaa Museum. It has been issued as postage stamps by Posti and Åland Post, and he received the Posti Art Award in 2023. He is the author of Dubbelexponerat (2022).
Relander has been connected to the Åland Islands since childhood summers spent with his great-grandmother. Today he lives and works in Mariehamn.
If you are interested in discussing a commissioned project or collaboration, feel free to get in touch.
“Reality can be beautiful, but the surreal often absorbs me. Photography to me is a way to express and stimulate my imagination. Nature is simply the world. With alternative and experimental camera techniques I am able to create artworks that otherwise only would be possible through painting or digital manipulation in an external software.”
SELECTED CREDITS
Solo Exhibitions (selected) Alternature, Xposure Festival, Sharjah, UAE (2026) · Alternature, Ålands Konstmuseum, Åland Islands (2024) · Alternative Futures, SEE Institute, Dubai (2023) · Symbiosis, Galleri Perspektivet, Ekenäs (2022) · Symbiosis, Nordic Cultural Institute, Åland Islands (2021) · Neonland, Konst & Form, Finland (2019) · Jarred & Displaced, Anderson Gallery, USA (2017) · Finnish Cultural Institute, Madrid & Lisbon (2017) · Galleri GEO, Bergen, Norway (2017)
Group Exhibitions (selected) Beijing International Art Biennale, National Art Museum of China (2022) · XXIX International Nude Art Exhibition, Museum of New Art, Estonia (2022) · Simple Tones & In The Garden, Muriel Guépin Gallery, New York (2020)
Awards & Nominations Postis Konstpris (2023) · Asiago International Award for Philatelic Art · PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris, Gold · IPA International Photography Awards, Gold · Cream Midlands Best Photography Prize, Silver · Pro Arte Award nomination, Didrichsen Art Museum
Collections Åland Art Museum · Museum of New Art, Estonia · Stiftelsen Pro Artibus · Raseborgs Stad · Nordic Institute on Åland · Private collections in the USA, Europe, and Asia
Press (selected) The Guardian · LA Times · Wired · VICE · Oprah Daily · Colossal · Hi-Fructose · Juxtapoz · Nikon Pro Magazine · China Daily
Clients (selected) Adobe · Nikon · Oxford University Press · SES Satellites · Reda 1865 · Silverstein & Partners · Havas 360 · WeTransfer