I make pictures to get lost in

Mikael Siirilä is a darkroom artist (b. 1978) based in Helsinki, Finland.

He learnt darkroom printing at home at a young age. After initially studying philosophy, he pursued an entrepreneurial career in graphic design before rediscovering his passion for photography. Throughout the 2010s, he built a specialised darkroom and began developing printing techniques to bring his vision to life.

He started exhibiting his work in 2022, with shows in Denmark, Spain, Germany, and Italy. His debut photobook, Here, in Absence, was published in by Iikki Books in France and was shortlisted for the 2024 Prix Nadar.

I translate intense looking and fascination into small, contemplative silver gelatine photographs. I collect minute observations from my daily life, family and travels. I recontextualise them in the darkroom with recurring reflections on self, absence, presence and identity. Each picture contributes to an expanding cosmos of interconnected thoughts.

My pictures are observations in the strictest sense, captured with minimal if any interference with the subjects. This ontological prerequisite positions my gaze as an outsider. The pictures are not the result of creative imagination but rather the recognition of subjective fascination and the traces of my gaze. I make pictures I can get lost in, in a desperate attempt to see more, feel more and live more.

I still believe in the singular picture: intentional and iconic. My photographs are unapologetically poetic, quiet and meditative. Their small size invites the viewer to lean in and become aware of the image as an object, a physical relic. Fragmented, sometimes obscured and cropped subjects lead the viewer to discover a presence beyond the edges.

I work exclusively with the silver gelatine process. I use overexposure, high-acuity development and pure blue light to accentuate film grain and create a graphic look. I use dominant black elements and negative space to reduce subjects to their essence and lean towards abstraction. The warm golden-ivory toning with tea tannins helps the images feel familiar and accessible.