Arctic Transcendence takes you on a rare journey through the largest paradox on earth: The beauty of life inside a dying Arctic Circle.​ Set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing and melting landscape, nature photographer and conservationist Jonas Paurell has spent more than 25 years exploring and photographing wildlife in the Arctic, and during this time collected over 30,000 images. With most of his expeditions having taken place on ski, foot, snow-mobile and ice-breaker, Jonas grants us a unique insight into how raw, untamed beauty is being forced to adapt to a vulnerable and fragile Arctic landscape transformed by the climate crisis.

​​

The selected images show the Arctic’s harsh and remote environments, portraying polar bears navigating shrinking sea ice, walruses gathered on rocky shores, and Arctic foxes thriving amidst shifting coastal landscapes. They also showcase shrinking and dying glaciers, seemingly endless ice deserts, majestic mountains, and breathtaking coastal scenes. Each photograph serves as a testament to the resilience of these creatures and the fragility of the ecosystem they inhabit.

​

Through these photographs, Arctic Transcendence tells a story of connection, impermanence, and survival. It is both a celebration of Arctic wildlife, giving the viewer a unique glimpse of the natural life of the Arctic that few of us can truly comprehend and a call to action, aiming to inspire viewers to reflect on the urgent need to protect this irreplaceable and fragile ecosystem before it is forever lost.

​​

The project merges documentary photography with fine-art and relies on artistic techniques such as negative space and minimalism to emphasize the illusory permanence of Arctic landscapes. These photographs highlight the quiet tension between the vastness of the environment and its precarious state, particularly as many of the recent photographs were taken during one of the warmest winters on record. This stark reality is especially evident in places like Svalbard, where nearly every winter now sets new temperature records.