Maurits Otterloo, a working class kid who grew up in the post-industrial city of Göteborg, Sweden, picked up his first camera in High School 2004. Two years later of dark room agony and euphoria Maurits won the second prize for young photograher of the year awarded by the newspaper Göteborgs-Posten. At age of 17 Maurits got offered a job at the same newspaper as writer on youth culture.

After finishing high school Maurits continued to work within the local underground scene of Göteborg collaborating a lot with bands and various night clubs in the city.

EVERYTHING IS POLITICAL
After leaving the army at 19 Maurits went to the university of photography in Göteborg seeking new ways of working but did not continue. At the age of 20 Maurits hosted together with the newly formed Feminist Party his first exhibition at the Världskulturmuseet about patriarchal norms in the Swedish society.

The feeling of being stuck in Göteborg got too great which led to a time of rootlessness and identity seeking. Maurits Otterloo was always finding reasons to travel and explore new places. He found his ways by accompanying anything from punk bands touring through Europe to humanitarian trips through Turkish Kurdistan.

ON THE MOVE
While the world was turning so was also politics and Maurits headed into studies of political science with focus on democracy building and the Middle East. For half a year Maurits was based in Uganda travelling around in East Africa working with the environmental organisation Vi-Skogen. At last he got back to Sweden to finnish his bachelor in International Relations and a masters degree in Journalism. After a short stint as a researcher on the documentary “Cold Case Dag Hammarskjöld” Maurits moved to Jordan and the Middle East to work with human rights and peoples right to organize.

A chapter that led to Lebanon, Palestine, Israel and Jordan. The latter being Maurits home for two and half years while working in the region. During the same time he also freelanced and were published in papers such as The Guardian, The Diplomat and OmVärlden. Having a steady income for the first time since graduation also ment that he finally could go back to analogue photography. The pace, variations of film, and the different style of working quickly has grown into a preferred medium.

After some very formative years in the region Maurits moved back to Stockholm in 2017. Dedicated to continue working with advocacy for human rights and as well engaging for his socialist ideals with the leftist party. Maurits has since been a local organizer, campaign manager, and has as well been a local representative in Södermalm, Sweden’s most densely populated area of 130 000 people.

CONTACT

maurits.otterloo@gmail.com

PORTRAITS