Tes Berge is a London-based conceptual photographer whose work seamlessly merges surreal artistry with technical precision. Her vivid imagination and meticulous attention to detail create immersive visual narratives that captivate viewers. In 2025, she gained widespread recognition after winning the Creativity Prize for It Bugs Me, an evocative series that explores themes of fragility and transformation through a striking, thought-provoking lens.
Tes Berge’s photography stands out for its bold use of color and composition, characterized by rich textures and vibrant hues that contrast with the minimalist aesthetics of her contemporaries. Through masterful lighting and framing, she achieves a painterly quality that seamlessly merges fine art techniques with photographic clarity. In one of her signature pieces, a figure dressed in yellow and blue stands against a stark backdrop, elevating a simple fashion tableau into a striking meditation on isolation and presence.
A defining aspect of Tes Berge’s work is the tension between beauty and unease. She skillfully blurs the boundary between the familiar and the uncanny, drawing viewers into a space of intrigue and introspection. In It Bugs Me, she magnifies often-overlooked subjects—such as insects and insect-like forms—to an arresting scale, compelling audiences to rethink their perceptions of “the other.” Through her photography, she delves into themes of vulnerability and resilience, prompting deeper contemplation.
Critics have positioned Berge within a new wave of conceptual photographers, likening her experimental approach to Maisie Wilton’s creativity and Carl Warner’s poetic precision. Yet, her vision remains distinctly her own. By combining technical mastery with narrative depth, she ensures that each image transcends mere documentation, functioning instead as a visual story. Elements of surrealism run through her work, echoing artists who transform the mundane into the extraordinary.
It Bugs Me is regarded as Tes Berge’s seminal work, praised for its conceptual depth and innovation. Described as “a striking exploration of vulnerability, metamorphosis, and resilience,” the series presents images such as:
Eclipse – Captures an insect-like form with dramatic lighting, elevating it to an almost sacred visual experience.
Drift – Places an organic form against a minimalist backdrop, subtly referencing ecological instability.
Pulse – Uses allegorical richness to depict the insect as both an individual entity and a symbol of life’s fragility.
Tes Berge’s ability to balance the alien and the familiar makes It Bugs Me a conceptual triumph. The series earned her the Creativity’s Prize in 2025, further cementing her as a major force in contemporary photography.
Beyond conceptual photography, Tes Berge has bridged fine art and fashion, collaborating with designers like Sofa Erygina and Kolchuga. Her editorial campaigns merge avant-garde fashion with surreal aesthetics, reimagining fashion photography as visual storytelling.
As Vogue Korea noted:
“Tes Berge’s images are more than fashion photography—they are visual storytelling, offering a meditation on identity and self-perception.”
She has also exhibited her work in Athens, Seoul, Los Angeles and within the UK including a 2024 collaborative exhibition at Brick Lane Gallery, London, which explored themes of identity and memory through photography and design.
Tes Berge’s photography is a study in duality—cinematic yet intimate, surreal yet deeply human. Whether through fine art or fashion, she is reshaping photography as a medium of storytelling and introspection. As she continues to evolve, Tes Berge is not just capturing reality—she is redefining it.
You can find out more about Tes Berge‘s work on her Website & Instagram.
