Photography is often Carl-Mikael Ström’s starting point, but never the end. Working across photography, painting, and writing, he explores the tension between what is seen and what is felt, questioning how an image can evoke both shared and unique experiences for the viewer and creator alike.

 

Through the use of diverse materials, painting, chemicals and alternative printing techniques, he physically manipulates his images, drawing out their deeper truths and revealing how he sees and feels each moment.

 

“This project is an exploration of that liminal space, where we confront our shadows—the parts of ourselves that have felt abandoned, unseen, or restless. Sabotage is a project that captures the raw beauty of transformation through photography, painting, and writing. It is about self-recognition—the moment we choose to break free from expectations and step into love fully, fearlessly.

 

For me, this is deeply personal. In many ways, it felt like sabotage—leaving one life to build another. But isn't that what love asks of us sometimes? To leave everything for something truer? I want the viewer to see themselves in this work—to recognise the universal force of love, the way it reshapes us, and the courage it takes to claim it.” - Carl-Mikael Ström