Tyheim

Tyheim is a Norwegian contemporary photographer whose work exists at the intersection of art and documentary.

Blending the raw immediacy of street portraiture with a deeply artistic sensibility, his images are both expressive works of photographic art and unflinching documents of urban life. They are shaped by the emotional and aesthetic concerns of art, yet grounded in the observational precision of documentary photography. Rather than explain or label, he explores the human condition in all its complexity, always with a distinctly documentary undertone.

Drawn to the raw and often overlooked individuals who inhabit the urban landscape, Tyheim captures the textures of real life: faces marked by experience, expressions suspended between vulnerability and defiance. Each portrait becomes a study in presence, cutting through pretense to reveal something deeply human.

Working with a Leica M11, he approaches the street as both stage and canvas. His photographs don’t simply document; they immerse the viewer in an unvarnished reality, at once beautiful and brutal. Through this lens, fleeting encounters become powerful visual narratives, steeped in authenticity and emotional resonance.

Black Depression

Work in Progress

Kensington, Philadelphia is one of the most brutal neighborhoods in the United States. It’s a place torn apart by fentanyl, street violence, poverty, and systemic failure. Homicides are common. Overdoses happen in the open. People live, and often collapse, on the sidewalks. The atmosphere is heavy, desperate, and raw.

This photobook is shaped by that depression and disintegration. It reflects what it feels like to stand inside that world: close, uncomfortable, and real, yet strangely vibrant, colorful, and, in its own way, beautiful. These are visual expressions of despair, not explanations of it. Nothing is staged. Nothing is embellished. This is art pulled from the edge.

A man with a beanie and coat looking at the camera while another person with a hoodie and umbrella stands nearby in a rainy urban setting under an overpass.
A man standing outdoors in the rain at night, wearing a black jacket and a hooded hoodie, with wet hair and a beard, under a metal structure with cars in the background.
Person with red hair and a black beanie wearing a dark jacket and gray T-shirt with a message, standing in front of a black fence.
A woman with black hair and tattoos, wearing a brown fringed jacket over a gray crop top and pearl bracelet, standing against a plain wall.
A man with tattoos on his face and a beard, dressed in a black jacket, standing against a textured wall that is half white and half black.
A man with messy hair and a beard, wearing a red sweater, shows a severely infected and ulcerated arm in an outdoor urban setting.
Two men sit and stand on a city sidewalk under an elevated train track. One man is standing, wearing a gray jacket, the other is seated, wearing a black jacket and pink hood. The seated man has a gray beanie and a green cap underneath. Buildings and a red pickup truck are visible in the background.

Tiraspol

Work in Progress

I spent day after day walking the streets of Tiraspol, from early morning until nightfall, moving through a place that exists in political limbo yet pulses with everyday life.

Pridnestrovie, also known as Transnistria: unrecognized by the world, but deeply real to those who call it home. Backed by Russia and cut off from the global banking system. No Visa. No Mastercard. Only the Transnistrian ruble. Life moves slowly here. The streets are calm, the city meticulously clean, and time seems to stretch, unhurried, almost generous.

Everywhere, you are surrounded by Soviet-era brutalism: raw concrete structures, monumental in scale, stoic in their silence. The architecture speaks of a past that never left. The Soviet legacy isn’t just remembered here; it’s lived. You feel it in the geometry of the buildings, in the stillness, in the rhythm of daily life. And yet, layered over the weight of the past is something oddly modern, quirky, out of place, almost surreal. A strange blend of past and present. It’s not nostalgia. It’s presence.

An elderly man with gray hair and a beard, wearing a gray blazer, appears to be in distress, clutching his nose or face, outside on a city street with cars and a building in the background.
An elderly man with a beard and cap leaning forward on a city street, with a white car driving by in the background, and a building with an Apple iClub sign.
A man with sunglasses and a gray cap leaning against a wall outside a building, wearing a black shirt.

Plur Blow

Work in Progress

Get pulled into the sweat-soaked heart of rave culture with this forthcoming photobook, a collision of flash, flesh, and fevered rhythm. These images hit hard, capturing the split-second chaos of nights lived at full volume. Every frame is a punch of reality: no filters, no staging, just the pulse of the underground laid bare in all its beautiful disorder.

A woman with long blonde hair wearing pink-tinted sunglasses and a bright pink tank top, holding a smartphone, with tattoos on her left arm, standing against a dark background.
A young woman with glitter on her face kisses a shirtless young man while another woman with braids, jewelry, and a blue swimsuit watches in the background.
A shirtless man with blond hair and blue eyes is surrounded by cheering people at a party or celebration, with a woman hugging him from the side.
Group of young women at a party, with tattoos, wearing hats, and dressed in revealing clothing, enjoying themselves in a dark setting.

Books

The Bookshelf

Tyheim’s photobooks cut straight to the bone, raw portraits of city life that most people walk past without a second glance. Each image drags the overlooked into the spotlight, exposing the grit, tension, and quiet dignity etched into every face. These aren’t just photographs; they’re fragments of the human condition, unfiltered and unapologetically real.

Four women leaning forward closely together with their heads down, appearing to look at something or take a photo. They are outdoors, possibly at a concert or event, with a crowd visible in the background.
A person taking a selfie in Times Square, dressed as Santa Claus with a large cake on their head, wearing a black face mask and red Santa costume, with digital billboards and a crowd of people in the background.

Gothenburg Faces

Photobook

For over a year, Tyheim has roamed the streets of Gothenburg, Sweden. His photobook Gothenburg Faces delves into the city's soul. Each page offers a visceral journey through portraits that reveal the often-overlooked beauty of everyday encounters.

Featuring more than 50 images, this book is more than just a collection of photographs. It’s a powerful narrative steeped in authenticity, breathing life into the raw human essence of Gothenburg.

Two young people with alternative fashion styles sitting in front of a glass window in an urban setting, with buildings and street reflections visible behind them.

Prints

Limited Editions

Crafted in Stockholm, Sweden on Hahnemühle Fine Art Baryta paper, each piece features a bright white, cellulose-based structure enhanced with a semi-gloss coating. These artworks offer perfect color reproduction, with deep blacks and remarkable contrasts. The paper's exquisite felt structure and barium sulfate coating enhance image quality and depth, echoing the feel of traditional analog baryta paper and elevating each piece to exhibition-quality status.

Experience exceptional quality and craftsmanship that distinguish these prints as true collector’s items.

Close-up of a woman's midsection, showing her tattoo, partially unzipped brown jacket, gray crop top, and black pants, with her hand resting on her hip and a pearl bracelet on her wrist.