AT THE EDGE OF SILENCE

The living world,
revealed slowly.

Born and raised in France, Matthieu Ever lived in Paris until he was sixteen. His family roots in Brittany and his early interest in nature drew him towards open spaces. He began taking photographs at that age.

His path has taken him through many places and professions. He trained as a landscape gardener, studied environmental management and conservation, and later learned carpentry. In French Guiana, he joined scientific field missions in the Amazon rainforest, worked on sea turtle monitoring and specialised in the study of snakes. He also worked as a nature and wilderness guide in Finland and northern Norway. His travels have led him through the wild valleys of Sarek and brought him close to elephants and lions in Namibia.

Matthieu first came to Norway in 2009. Despite the journeys that followed, he remained connected to the country. Over several years, he shared the daily life of reindeer herders he had known since that first visit. He accompanied them into the mountains and was present for both the joyful and the difficult parts of their lives. In 2020, he settled on the island of Dyrøya, in the Troms region.

His photography grows out of time spent outdoors. He looks for rare moments when light, an animal and its surroundings come together, sometimes after long waits in wind, cold, storms or desert heat. Dunes, forests, coastlines and mountains are places to explore and observe before they become photographs. He aims to show animals in their own environment and to portray landscapes without artifice, as close as possible to what the eye sees. Yet his work also carries a personal, poetic dimension: through his photographs, he tries to convey the feeling of being there.

Today, Matthieu lives in Dyrøy with his Danish partner and their daughter. Together, they founded Tundra Camp, a small nature travel company. He continues to draw, paint and work as a carpenter. Becoming a father has given new meaning to what he hopes to pass on: respect for the living world, curiosity and the desire to take time to look closely.

Matthieu Ever