Born in Scotland, and raised in London, photographer Ivar Wigan (b. 1979) approaches narrative and portrait scenes with a nuanced sensitivity to social interaction. Through imagery culled from intimate relationships and interactions with his surroundings, the artist aims to break down barriers that society has built up around minority and youth cultures. The impetus to document comes from a place of admiration and in this way, his photographs call to mind the work of Nan Goldin or Richard Billingham, where drama and atmosphere are heightened by acute respect and empathy.
Wigan received his MA in History of Art and Ancient History from the University of Edinburgh. 2015 saw the release of The Gods, a collection of photographs created during time spent immersed in the North American sprawl of Atlanta, Miami and Los Angeles. It was here that the artist rst became absorbed by the mutable youth and music cultures that unfold out of the African diaspora.