Tyheim

Vidar Korneliussen, aka 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 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.

Drawn to the raw and often overlooked individuals who inhabit the urban landscape, Tyheim frames the textures of real life: faces marked by collision, expressions suspended between vulnerability and defiance.

With a Leica M11-D, he approaches the street as both stage and canvas. His work doesn’t simply document; it confronts the viewer with an unvarnished reality, at once beautiful and brutal.

Person wearing a gas mask and green jacket standing in front of circular ceiling lights in a modern indoor setting.
Person wearing a gas mask and green jacket standing in front of circular ceiling lights in a modern indoor setting.

Kharkiv, Ukraine / July 2026

“The face is never my subject. Character is”

Vidar Korneliussen, AKA Tyheim

A shirtless man with a buzz cut hairstyle and numerous tattoos on his face, chest, and arms, standing in front of a red background with white lettering.
A shirtless man with a buzz cut hairstyle and numerous tattoos on his face, chest, and arms, standing in front of a red background with white lettering.
A shirtless man with tattoos and a distressed expression, standing in a dimly lit, peeling wall background.
A shirtless man with tattoos and a distressed expression, standing in a dimly lit, peeling wall background.
A bald man with multiple bruises and black marks on his face is shirtless, standing in front of a red wall with white letters.
A bald man with multiple bruises and black marks on his face is shirtless, standing in front of a red wall with white letters.
The image shows a woman with curly blonde hair wearing a pink shirt with white text that reads "Angela's 21st". She is outdoors on a city street with buildings, cars, and a yellow bus visible in the background. The woman is partially shadowed, and her face is slightly tilted, with a confident expression.
The image shows a woman with curly blonde hair wearing a pink shirt with white text that reads "Angela's 21st". She is outdoors on a city street with buildings, cars, and a yellow bus visible in the background. The woman is partially shadowed, and her face is slightly tilted, with a confident expression.
A man with tattoos on his chest and arms, staring directly at the camera, against a dark textured background with yellow writing.
A man with tattoos on his chest and arms, staring directly at the camera, against a dark textured background with yellow writing.
A shirtless man with tattoos on his chest stands outdoors during the daytime, smiling as someone else adjusts his shirt. The background shows trees, a building with domed roofs, and power lines, indicating an urban setting.
A shirtless man with tattoos on his chest stands outdoors during the daytime, smiling as someone else adjusts his shirt. The background shows trees, a building with domed roofs, and power lines, indicating an urban setting.
A shirtless man with tattoos on his chest and arms, smiling with eyes partially closed, sitting in front of a plain, light-colored wall.
A shirtless man with tattoos on his chest and arms, smiling with eyes partially closed, sitting in front of a plain, light-colored wall.
A woman smiling and sitting on the floor with her arm resting on her knee, wearing casual clothing including a plaid shirt and shorts, with a bandana on her head, in a black and white photo.
A woman smiling and sitting on the floor with her arm resting on her knee, wearing casual clothing including a plaid shirt and shorts, with a bandana on her head, in a black and white photo.
Close-up of a person's arm with tattoos, wearing a shirt with a leaf pattern. The tattoos include a lion's face with the words "BORN TO WILD" and various small images like a snake, a skeleton, and a star. The background is blurred.
Close-up of a person's arm with tattoos, wearing a shirt with a leaf pattern. The tattoos include a lion's face with the words "BORN TO WILD" and various small images like a snake, a skeleton, and a star. The background is blurred.
Black and white photo of a shirtless man with tattoos on his chest and shoulders, including a star-like design with a swastika, a wolf's face, and other patterns. The man has a tattooed face and appears to be in a dimly lit environment.
Black and white photo of a shirtless man with tattoos on his chest and shoulders, including a star-like design with a swastika, a wolf's face, and other patterns. The man has a tattooed face and appears to be in a dimly lit environment.
Black and white photo of a man with a swastika tattoo on his chest, wearing a necklace and a hat, standing outdoors with trees, power lines, and a building in the background.
Black and white photo of a man with a swastika tattoo on his chest, wearing a necklace and a hat, standing outdoors with trees, power lines, and a building in the background.
Portrait of a woman with blonde curly hair, wearing a pink shirt and a black strap across her shoulder, standing outdoors with a partly damaged building, trees, parked cars, and a clear blue sky in the background.
Portrait of a woman with blonde curly hair, wearing a pink shirt and a black strap across her shoulder, standing outdoors with a partly damaged building, trees, parked cars, and a clear blue sky in the background.

Odesa, Ukraine / Nov. 2025 - Present
Ongoing body of work

These artworks form part of a wider photographic project documenting the atmosphere of Odesa, Ukraine, during the war.

Black
Depression

Philadelphia, U.S. / Oct. 2025 - Present
Ongoing body of work

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 project 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 beard wearing a black beanie, tan jacket, and hoodie, standing outdoors at night near a fence with graffiti. In the background, a young woman with dark hair, holding an umbrella, is also standing near the fence on a rainy night.
A man with a beard wearing a black beanie, tan jacket, and hoodie, standing outdoors at night near a fence with graffiti. In the background, a young woman with dark hair, holding an umbrella, is also standing near the fence on a rainy night.
A man with a beard and wet hair wearing a black jacket standing outdoors at night under a dark sky with faint stars, possibly near a city street with cars and buildings in the background.
A man with a beard and wet hair wearing a black jacket standing outdoors at night under a dark sky with faint stars, possibly near a city street with cars and buildings in the background.
A man with long curly hair and a beard sitting outdoors at night, wearing a red knitted sweater and black pants, with visible dirt and injuries on his legs, next to a chain-link fence and dark sky.
A man with long curly hair and a beard sitting outdoors at night, wearing a red knitted sweater and black pants, with visible dirt and injuries on his legs, next to a chain-link fence and dark sky.
Close-up of a woman with black hair, wearing a brown fringed jacket over a gray top, with tattoos on her chest, a black headscarf, and pearl bracelets, standing against a white textured wall.
Close-up of a woman with black hair, wearing a brown fringed jacket over a gray top, with tattoos on her chest, a black headscarf, and pearl bracelets, standing against a white textured wall.
A man in a black suit, white shirt, and large black hat with a wide brim wearing large clear glasses, standing in front of a metallic, vented background.
A man in a black suit, white shirt, and large black hat with a wide brim wearing large clear glasses, standing in front of a metallic, vented background.
Close-up of a man with long blond hair, visible tattoos on his neck, and a distressed facial expression, standing against a dark background with part of a brick wall and door in view.
Close-up of a man with long blond hair, visible tattoos on his neck, and a distressed facial expression, standing against a dark background with part of a brick wall and door in view.
Close-up of a young man with tattoos on his face and neck, dark hair, and a beard, standing against a textured wall with a black paint stripe.
Close-up of a young man with tattoos on his face and neck, dark hair, and a beard, standing against a textured wall with a black paint stripe.
Two men standing outdoors under an overpass, wearing winter clothing, with buildings and parked cars in the background.
Two men standing outdoors under an overpass, wearing winter clothing, with buildings and parked cars in the background.
A person wearing a black hoodie with the hood up sitting on the sidewalk, leaning against a concrete structure, with their head bowed and hands clasped. The street scene behind them includes a row of brick buildings, parked cars, and utility poles with wires, under an overcast sky.
A person wearing a black hoodie with the hood up sitting on the sidewalk, leaning against a concrete structure, with their head bowed and hands clasped. The street scene behind them includes a row of brick buildings, parked cars, and utility poles with wires, under an overcast sky.

Refugee Camp

Nicosia, Cyprus / Sept. 2024 - Present
Ongoing body of work

Behind the fences, children grow up with violence, rape, fear, and desperation around them. They run through the same corridors where adults break down. They hear the shouting. They feel the fear. They learn too early that the world can be brutal.

They still play.

But childhood is bleeding out around them.

A person with dark hair holding a young child wearing a green jacket indoors at night.
A person with dark hair holding a young child wearing a green jacket indoors at night.

Plur Blow

Book / Aug. 2024

These works form part of a larger photographic project created at Sana Duri in Gothenburg, Sweden, and published in book form. Within the book, the images are paired with first-person accounts drawn from the Reddit forum r/aves, recollections marked by intensity, absurdity, and dark humor.

Curated
Works

Limited Editions

Each work is available for acquisition as a numbered, archival artwork, never reproduced beyond its edition.

A woman with tattoos on her chest and hands, some dirt or makeup on her face, and a pearl bracelet, is exposing her chest with her hands, standing against a wall with a chain-link fence nearby.
A woman with tattoos on her chest and hands, some dirt or makeup on her face, and a pearl bracelet, is exposing her chest with her hands, standing against a wall with a chain-link fence nearby.
A person with dark hair and a cheerful expression is standing in front of a gray, weathered wall with peeling paint. There is yellow and green text on the wall behind them.
A person with dark hair and a cheerful expression is standing in front of a gray, weathered wall with peeling paint. There is yellow and green text on the wall behind them.
Close-up of people with heads bowed, dark hair, and various hair colors, in a dark setting.
Close-up of people with heads bowed, dark hair, and various hair colors, in a dark setting.
Close-up of a person wearing a white skirt and black tights crossing a pedestrian crosswalk, with someone else's hand extended in front of them, and group of people in the background near a sign that reads "superhumans."
Close-up of a person wearing a white skirt and black tights crossing a pedestrian crosswalk, with someone else's hand extended in front of them, and group of people in the background near a sign that reads "superhumans."
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