We work with words, images, and sound to tell human stories.
Ågren Maekawa is the joint project of Daniel Ågren and Ikumi Maekawa. Based in Gothenburg, Sweden, we tell human stories using words, images, and sound.
Re:connect/ion, a human journey is our first collaborative work in photopoetry, a medium where photography and poetry create space for viewers to build their own meaning from the interplay of the two art forms.
This project emerged from a journey across Southeast Asia and Japan, taken as an act of healing after familial loss. For Ikumi, who grew up in Malaysia and is originally from Tokyo, it was also a literal reconnection with places that shaped her. The work explores connection and disconnection with humanity, nature, and ourselves.
Equipment
Camera. Canon EOS R6 Mark II
Lenses. Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS, Canon RF 50mm F1.8
Collaborators
Daniel Ågren is a journalist and photographer who has been published in Swedish news outlets Dagens Nyheter (‘Daily news’), Göteborgs Posten (‘Gothenburg Post’), Sveriges Radio (‘Sweden’s Radio’), and SVT (‘Sweden’s Televison’). He is well-versed as a reporter and broadcaster, especially in radio journalism. He has worked with Sveriges Radio's major news programs, such as Ekot, Kaliber, P1-Morgon, and Studio Ett. See list of publications here.
Ikumi Maekawa writes about identity, culture, and human relationships from the unique perspective of someone who simultaneously belongs everywhere and nowhere, having spent much of her life moving countries. Originally from Tokyo, she has called five countries home, and works in the fields of sustainability and learning.