Belgian photographer Jan Pypers among Hasselblad Masters 2023 competition winners

Belgian artist Jan Pypers has been named as one of the winners of the prestigious photography competition Hasselblad Masters 2023.

The photographer won the Art category in the worldwide competition that is divided into six sections: Landscape, Architecture, Portrait, Art, Street and Project//21.

Born in the coastal town of Knokke-Heist in 1982, Pypers now joins an exclusive club of photographers who have earned the coveted title of ‘Hasselblad Master’.

The six winners of the 2023 contest receive a new Hasselblad medium format cameras and are invited to shoot a collaborative project with the Swedish camera manufacturer.

Pypers’ winning works are from his ongoing Diorama series, which blends reality with surrealism to create images that evoke curiosity and intrigue.  

For the artist, “the series explores our lost bond with nature, inspired by traditional dioramas and modern digital representations. It urges reconnection and respect with nature.”

He used Photoshop to merge several photos. “Contrary to what many think, I do not use 3D or artificial intelligence, but old film techniques such as scale models and forced perspective.”  

Stefan Jensen, curator at the Hasselblad Foundation and Grand Jury Chair said: "The photographer skillfully balances what looks like a documentary scene with added elements that make us question their reality."

Photos: ©Jan Pypers