Norwegian, 1976
Espen is based in Oslo, Norway, and works as a photo editor at VG Helg, the weekend magazine of Norway’s best selling newspaper Verdens Gang. At the same time, Espen is constantly working on his own projects, focusing on humanitarian issues and challenges related to climate change. In 2007, Espen was given $ 60,000 by the Freedom of Expression Foundation to continue his long-term project on refugees and IDPs around the world which was published as a book – TRANSIT – in 2011 and toured as an exhibition to a number of venues. Espen also lectures in photography at Oslo University College and the Nordic School of Photography and frequently gives presentations at photography festivals.
For the past five years Espen has been one of three mentors and editors at the Norwegian Journal of Photography (NJP), a project supported by the Freedom of Expression Foundation which allows photographers straddling various types of photography to present the full breadth of their work.
Espen has won numerous awards, including two World Press Photo awards, several Pictures of the Year international (POYi) awards and 45 Norwegian Picture of the Year awards, including Photographer of the Year in 2015, 2016 and 2018. His work has been exhibited at the Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo, Humanity House in The Hague, UNHCR Headquarters in Geneva and at DokuFest International Film Festival in Kosovo.
His clients include the New York Times, The Independent, Intelligent Life, Fader magazine, Medecins sans Frontieres, The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and UNHCR. His work has appeared in magazines such as Time, Newsweek, National Geographic, Der Spiegel and the Economist and newspapers such as The Guardian, The Sunday Telegraph and New York Times.
Espen’s most recent project is looking at the rise of extreme right wing groups and politicians around Europe and North America – White Rage.