Benjamin van der Zalm’s work elegantly emphasizes the contrast between the natural world’s vastness and life’s smaller moments. His black and white images have all the nostalgic qualities of mid-20th Century landscape photography yet they also have an illusory allure, hovering between real and surreal. The natural imagery in his work is instantly familiar, yet the spiritual poignancy of the photographs suggests another, otherworldly dimension to his work.

Van der Zalm photographs majestic landscapes—ravines, canyons, or plateaus—but he always interrupts the grandeur with an intimate detail, merging awe-inspiring beauty with the more heartwarming beauty of personal moments. While van der Zalm’s work initially draws viewers in with its powerful aura, it also offers them access to a delicate personal experience with the natural world. Born in 1985 in Brasschaat, Belgium, van der Zalm studied for goldsmith and photography in Antwerp.