Bio

Tzion Essel is a London based fine art photographer who holds a BA in Photography from Kingston University and an MA in Photography from the University of the Arts London. His work has been exhibited internationally, with showings in London, New York, Miami and most recently, Venice. He is the recipient of multiple awards, including Gold in the Conceptual Category of the 2025 reFocus Black and White Awards, third place overall in the same contest and a nomination in the Fine Art Photography Awards. His work has been featured in publications such as Zone Magazine and Ephemere Tokyo. “I create to depict the intangible; the deep, often contradictory emotions that accompany being alive. My work offers a space for viewers to find comfort, resonance, and reflection. If someone sees themselves in an image, if it gives shape to something they couldn’t express, then the work has succeeded. Inspired by the melancholic aspects of existence, I explore themes of heartbreak, elusive memory, and the romantic pull of nature. I draw from the legacy of the old masters and build on pictorialism’s argument that photography is more than documentation. Through poetic black and white imagery, I use a blend of in-camera techniques and post-production to create a contemporary evolution of pictorialism, one that centres emotional clarity and the wonders of my imagination."