Achraf Baznani - Surreal Stories #296390

In the photographs I create, images appear to derive more from dreams than reality. Often using myself as the subjects of characters, these portraits are built into narratives exploring themes on death, obsession, anxiety, solitude and escapism. These themes are then constructed into archetypes. Inspired by the golden age of Dutch painters like Vermeer and from surrealists like Magritte and Dali, I explore colour and light to emulate a “painterly feel”. With a combination of photography and post-production manipulation, I strive to create worlds that are riddled with subconscious symbolism. Expressing haunting parts of the human condition while blurring reality with imagination, metaphor and emotion. Likened to haunting yet beautiful films or dark fairytales, the work aims to pose questions on how synonymous the bridge between our reality and imagination really is.