Withdraw

• Photographer
  Michael Hagen
• Technical Info
  Smartphone Samsung A54; Samsung Notes; Free Upscaler
• Photo Date
  May 2025

In Withdraw, a grid of window blinds becomes a mirror for our collective state of retreat and reconnection. The alternating panels of deep blue and black suggest both the act of pulling shutters closed—seeking shelter from the world—and the potential to lift them again, stepping out of isolation.This nine-pane composition reflects how we hide behind barriers—physically in our homes, mentally in our minds—yet also holds open the question of return. Withdraw invites us to consider our own blinds: will we continue to draw them down, or will we choose to raise them, re-embracing the space beyond?

My name is Michael Hagen. I began practicing photographic art in early 2025 after a serious illness forced me to leave my previous profession. During this time, art became a way to process inner experiences and reflect on change and human existence. In my work I explore what I call the “echoes of the seen” — the emotional resonance that visual impressions leave within us, transforming photographic material into intuitive fine art images about perception, memory and inner states.