Norwegian photographer Oyvind Hjelmen has been making quiet, moody, emotionally-loaded photographs for more than a decade now. However, 2007 was a year when recognition finally started to come from many corners of the globe:

He had a one-man show in his native Norway. He was awarded a Portfolio Prize at the Rencontres d'Arles in France. His very recent work from China was chosen as a highlight in the upcoming photography festival in Lodz Poland. His friends Anders Petersen and Michael Ackerman have both made treks to conduct week-long (sold-out) workshops with Hjelmen and his wife, photographer Catherine Cameron, on the uncrowded island where they live in Norway. His work was published in books and catalogs this past year, as well.

We are very pleased to present 12 photos from his recent series, House that was Home, now at Lens Culture.

Hjelmen says, “These images are about what happens when a house that was home to a family for several generations, one day is being cleared out to be sold. What is left when all the little objects, once so precious, and all the pictures that were on the walls are gone? What stories do the empty – or near empty – walls tell? What is left in an empty room?”

Beyond that, he lets the photographs speak for themselves, which they do, quite eloquently.

We are also very pleased to announce that you can purchase a very affordable limited edition of the silver-gelatin print shown above through our new Lens Culture Editions online sales gallery. Each is hand-printed, numbered, and signed by the artist.