Eye Candi in June: Philipp Graf

Hello Philipp, could you briefly introduce yourself and tell us a little about your background?

I’m Philipp Graf, and I live in Zurich. I work in communications and, over the years, developed a close connection to imagery and visual language. For several years now, I have focused primarily on black-and-white photography and on developing my own visual style.

Where is home for you?

Physically, in Zurich. Mentally, all over the world.

And where do you feel most at home?

In special places and with interesting people.

How would you describe your style?

At the heart of my visual language lies the sensuality of everyday life – those quiet moments we usually overlook. I see myself as a silent observer. This idea is also reflected in the title of my images, Me and.... My work emerges from this space of tension – clear, reduced, and shaped by a subtle sense of visual storytelling.

What do you hope to evoke through your work?

An appreciation for life’s quiet, small moments. After all, the good things are often right in front of us. Or, as Leïla Slimani, the French-Moroccan writer, put it: “I am not an atheist of life. Oh no. I am obsessed with life, a passionate devotee of it. Life illuminates me, tears me apart every moment. I love it as it comes: joy, happiness, pain, silence.”

Which song inspires you?

Music is a central part of my life. Dance Me to the End of Love by Leonard Cohen is a song that expresses a sensuality I would like to embody in my own life, and it speaks to the power of love. Love is everything.

Apart from your art, what brings you particular joy?

Three things are especially important in my life: as I mentioned, music; then working with my hands; and social connection. I constantly try to make enough room for all three. Without these dimensions, there is no life.

Do you have a favourite piece among your works?

No, because every image is a part of me. I do not go looking for subjects. Instead, I spontaneously capture moments that stir a strong feeling within me and radiate a certain sensuality.

Our readers will be waking up to your images in their inbox every morning for the next month. Is there anything you would like to leave them with?

I’d like to share this quote by Jean-Jacques Rousseau: «The people who have lived the most are not those who have lived the longest, but those who have felt the most.»