Norwegian photographer ⁠Kai Tormod Hansen bridges the gap between traditional and alternative practices, utilizing both digital techniques and historical processes such as cyanotype, wet-plate photography, and Van Dyke printing. His botanical work has been featured in exhibitions both in his homeland Norway and abroad. His photographs are direct representations of natural subjects, yet they are captured and processed to evoke abstraction. Familiar forms are rendered unfamiliar, inviting the viewer to engage their imagination and discover the subtle, often overlooked beauty in natural decay. In late autumn—just before the arrival of winter snow—he captures the delicate, transient elegance of flora as it transitions. Whether it is the curling lily of the valley or the twisting shapes of withered roses, these subjects become captivating motifs. He brings these quiet moments to life through both flawless digital prints and handmade alternative processes, such as the Prussian blue of the cyanotype. The series presented here focuses on old, dried maple leaves. Captured in extreme macro detail, the fine, botanical structures of the leaves are made beautifully visible. By stepping so close, Hansen reveals entirely unexpected, abstract shapes that challenge the eye and command attention.
Hansen has attended a large number of photography workshops with different world known photographers and in addition to digital techniques and traditional analogue photography also attended workshops on various historical processes. He has a strong interest in the history of photography and enjoys continuing the tradition.