The four presented artists understand nature as a mirror of human life. To approach nature in art means to understand one‘s own existence as part of the cosmic whole. It is not simply about showing beauty of landscapes but show nature as refuge and source of knowledge. All four artists are proof of the power of photography: they create images that are more than a reflection of reality but rather images with great poetic power – maybe even with a healing effect for the viewer.

All four artists are also distinguished by their excellent mastery of printmaking techniques. Hand crafted Platinum Prints, analogue C-Prints on Fuji-Flex paper or Chine-collé prints on Japanese Toyobo and Washi paper: the four photographers are master printers and see the craft of printing as part of the artistic process and as a means to amplify their message.

Paul Cupido’s (NL) affinity for the natural world was born out of a childhood spent on the Dutch island of Terschelling, where the ebb and flow of tides and the cycles of the moon reflect the fleetingness of life. Cupido’s work is furthermore inspired by Japanese photography as well as his travels there. Japanese philosophical principles, and especially that of Mu, permeate his creative practice. Mu could be loosely translated as ‘does not have’ or a ‘void’, albeit one that holds potential. Cupido’s economy of form and lyrical compositions, encompassing landscape, portraiture and still life, invite to look beyond the visible—while he is rigorous in his attention to the quality of printing and his choice of paper stock. He photographs widely while traveling and reflects on the results later, which after a period of contemplation means a renewed journey of discovery, in which the intuitive editing of seemingly unrelated images leads to serendipitous combinations.

Jeffrey Conley (USA) is a fine art landscape photographer who specializes in creating traditional black and white prints. His meticulously crafted prints, made utilizing traditional darkroom processes, are made in limited editions. His work has been widely exhibited and collected by private collectors and museums worldwide. Two monographs of his work, WINTER, 2011, and REVERENCE, 2018, have been published by Nazraeli Press. Conley‘s photographs strive for a balanced simplicity that evoke his sense of wonder and reverence for the natural world. Scale and palette vary, from small, intimate and subtle, to large, grand and dramatic. In all he seeks to capture a meditative spirit that uniquely defines his approach to photographing the landscape. He strives to create luminous hand-coated platinum & palladium prints that he feels possess a distinctive richness unique to traditional photographic processes.

Simone Kappeler (CH) started taking pictures at the age of eleven. Between 1972–1976, she studied German and art history at the University of Zürich, and during 1975–1979, she studied photography at the School of Design in Zürich. During a three-month trip to the United States in 1981, Kappeler took her first pictures using cheap cameras, especially the Diana camera. Since 1982, she has been doing ongoing projects in southern France and the Grisons. In 1982/83, Kappeler had a studio in New York and experimented with conceptual photography and Super 8 films.

Many who have written about Simone Kappeler speak of the timelessness that informs her photographs. It is as if the moment, the tiny slice of time, captured in these pictures has dropped out of the temporal continuum. Kappeler’s subject matter covers the entire spectrum of classical photography: landscape, interiors, still lifes, everyday scenes, portraits. Although her work features a striking variety of styles, it shows a cogent overall coherence. Many of the photographs are marked by a sense of flow. The subject matter shimmers; there are no distinct contours. Sometimes, it is as if we were witnessing a picture in the making, watching the magical process that has vanished since the rise of digital photography.

The works of Margaret Lansink ( NL) have been awarded the Grand Prize of Hariban Award 2019, and have been shortlisted for Gomma Grant 2018. In 2018, her work was shortlisted for Fotofilmic18 and Athens Photofestival and was part of Reclaim Photography Festival in Wolverhampton UK. Lansink participates in exhibitions, residencies and competitions in Holland and abroad.

Her work has been shown in LA, Paris, Antwerp, New York, Tokyo, Kyoto, Tbilisi, Vancouver, Amsterdam etc. In 2016, she has been rewarded with an AIR with the Kaunas Gallery in Lithuania and in 2017 with Shiro Oni Studio in Japan; both for her on-going project The Kindness of One. In 2019, she has been rewarded with an AIR at Benrido Atelier Kyoto for winning the Hariban Award 2019 with her series Borders of Nothingness - On the Mend.

Margaret Lansink has published eight books. "The Kindness of One" has been awarded with Best Dutch Book Designs 2019 and is part of the collection of Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam Bookstore. Her books "Borders of Nothingness - On the Mend" as well as "The Kindness on One" are part of the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Margaret is member of FemmesPHOTOgraphes Paris.

All four artists are presented at Paris Photo exclusively by Bildhalle.