I work instinctively in fast moving urban environments, isolating moments in which ordinary reality briefly exceeds itself. [Thessaloniki, 2026]
N.I.K.I. (Non Intentional Kaleidoscopic Iconography)
N.I.K.I. (Non Intentional Kaleidoscopic Iconography) is an ongoing colour series photographed in Thessaloniki, Greece. Working instinctively in fast moving urban environments, Jean-Pierre Damen isolates moments in which the contemporary street accidentally reorganises itself into theatrical, symbolic, and iconographic forms. Balancing observation with visual transformation, the series explores how ordinary reality can briefly exceed itself through coincidence, gesture, reflection, colour, and layered human presence.
N.I.K.I. is in progress and can be found here
urban dystopia (ongoing series)
Urban Dystopia explores alienation, emotional distance, and the fragmented atmosphere of contemporary urban life.
The original edition received two honorable mentions at the International Photography Awards (IPA) 2019. It can be found here.
A second edition reinterprets the series through a darker, more graphical noir aesthetic and can be found here.
The third edition shifts toward a more psychological perspective and received an honorable mention at the International Photography Awards (IPA) 2021 and can be found here.
A fourth series is currently in development.
Read more in my blogpost about the making of Urban Dystopia.
portrait / human
Being in the centrifuge of life with a clear eye on what matters. Movement as a natural biotope for feeling alive. Movement as a cure for stagnation. And centrifugal power as a way to stabilize your own center of gravity.
from the photo essay: a day with elena