Black and white photo of architect and photographer Rasmus Hjortshøj, standing with arms crossed, wearing a white button-up shirt, against a plain background.

Rasmus Hjortshøj
Photographer, Architect, PhD.
Member of The Royal Academy of Fine Arts

About

Rasmus Hjortshøj is a Danish architect and photographer specialising in the representation of architecture, interiors, and urban environments. He is a trained architect and holds a PhD in architecture and urban studies, with a focus on coastal territories in the Anthropocene. His work is characterised by a wide range of approaches, media, and collaborations, all of which revolve around architecture and the representation of the urban environment.

Through architectural and interior photography, Rasmus works with leading practices and institutions in architecture and design. His architectural background establishes a clear connection between the representation of architecture and the appreciation and understanding of the architectural language of structure, form, materiality, and context, resulting in images that are, at once, precise documents and atmospheric representations of the architects’ works.

Additionally, Rasmus engages in what he coins as territorial photography, where he combines mapping with aesthetic framing to highlight the urban coastal territories in which he predominantly works. To pursue this direction, he has established a research branch of his studio, COAST, which engages in a range of collaborations in practice and academia, working across various media and scales, from the immediate local sphere to larger territorial contexts. These collaborations focus on architecture, planning, and the environment, aiming to shed new light on how architecture shapes and is shaped by the territories it occupies.

To learn more read this interview in the Architectural Photography Almanack by Kyrre Sundal.

GRANTS + AWARDS

Member of The Royal Academy of Fine Arts

Dreyers Foundation: Development of the 'COAST' book (2021)

Danish Arts Foundation Scholarship: For Artistic Development (2015)

Danish Arts Foundation 1 year Scholarship: 'Seachange' (2014)

‘The Cebra Prize’ for thesis project ‘Reconfiguration of Territories – Oslo.’ Awarded for innovation and excellence in architectural design and planning. (2008)

EDUCATION 

Ph.D. in architecture, landscape, and urban studies – Aarhus School of Architecture’s Research Department. (2016–2021)

Cand. Arch - Aarhus School of Architecture, Master of Architecture. (2002–2008)

School of the Fine Arts, Aarhus, Denmark. (2001–2002)

Business School, Frederikshavn, Denmark. (1996–1999)

SABBATICALS 

Photographic exploration of nordic coastlines – funded by Statens Kunstfond. (2015 Aug–2015 Oct)

Book production and conceptualisation of the' ‘Coast Project’ – funded by Statens Kunstfond. (2014 Aug–2014 Dec)

Sailing expedition, Caribbean Sea. Conceptualizing the ‘Seachange’ project. (2012 Jan–2013 Apr)