Snow is one of the most mysterious phenomena I’ve ever encountered. It’s ability to completely transform a terrain has always been one of nature’s biggest turnabouts. Having been born and raised in a tropical country, the closest experience we get to snow are man-made theme parks during the holidays. Since starting my journey in landscape photography, it has been one of my goals to create a body of work that centers around winter and how it completely transforms a landscape.

I saw the complete whiteout of the land as a blank canvas, where anything is possible; and a perfect opportunity to explore my ideas of a calm but harsh landscape; of what it could look like amidst the blizzard and the cold.

"Artifact Series: Beyond Whiteout" is a culmination of my experience during my sojourns on the harsh and snowy landscape of Hokkaido, Japan.

Artifact Series: Beyond Whiteout, a series by Marvin Grey

Landscapes are ever-changing. From the changes in seasons, to natural phenomena, the environment continues to change over time but never gets displaced. The location remains the same. The essence and memory of the altered subject or terrain lingers—more like a feeling, than a sight. It’s not fleeting, but rather stays with you as you remain within the place.


When the tide shifts from low to high, the once barren terrain starts to overflow with mana from the sea that brings changes into the landscape: growth, abundance and the overflowing amount of energy that the ocean cycles from every part of the earth. This deluge can be seen as a powerful force that can destroy; and yet it can also be seen as a force that brings solitude onto the shoreline. The presence of water presents a unique opportunity and challenge in one’s perspective.


“Artifact Series: Scapeshift” is a concept inspired by the fervent changes within the landscape that I had attempted to immortalize into images. Behind each image is a subject surrounded by the crashing waves of the sea, depicted into a state of calmness and tranquility.