Hendrik Paul is a black-and-white photographer from Mill Valley, California. He processes each roll of film by hand and prints in the traditional silver gelatin format, meticulously crafting each print to capture nature’s tranquil and meditative qualities. This hands-on approach is essential to his work, reflecting a deep connection to the process.
Paul received his BA in 2003 from Providence College and an MFA in Photography from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2009. He was a Fulbright finalist in 2009 and was nominated for the 2012 SECA Art Award with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). His exhibitions include Meditative Landscapes at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Depth of Perception at the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), and Landscape Other at Rayko in San Francisco. His works are held in the permanent collections of Providence College in Rhode Island and the San Francisco Public Utility Commission.
Paul's journey into photography was inspired by a pivotal moment in an ancient monastery in northern India, where he found clarity through the metaphor of ascending a dimly lit staircase. Despite the occasional call to adopt modern digital techniques, Paul remains deeply committed to historical photographic processes. As he watches an image emerge under amber light in a tray of developer, he finds certainty in his path.
Paul recently completed Dark Light, his second book project with Datz Press in South Korea. He continues to work from his studio darkroom in Mill Valley.
CV
EDUCATION
2009 San Francisco Art Institute, MFA, Photography
2007 San Francisco Art Institute, Post Baccalaureate, Photography
2003 Providence College, Studio Art with an emphasis in photography
SOLO EXHIBITION
2013 LIGHT FROM WITHIN The Image Flow, Mill Valley, CA
2012 MEDITATIVE LANDSCAPES San Francisco International Airport
GROUP EXHIBITION
2024 IN FLUX: RECALIBRATING THE UNKNOWN The Museum of Northern
California Art, CA
2016 NORTH VALLEY ART LEAGUE Carter House Gallery, Redding, CA
2014 THE PERIMETER OF THE WORLD Rayko, San Francisco, CA
NORTH VALLEY ART LEAGUE Carter House Gallery, Redding, CA
2012 GROUP EXHIBITION Public Utilities Commission, San Francisco, CA
2011 GROUP EXHIBITION Smith Anderson North, San Anselmo, CA
2010 GROUP EXHIBITION Smith Anderson North, San Anselmo, CA
2009 EMERGING (i) 4 Freestyle Photography, Traveling Show, USA
NATIONAL EXHIBITION Marin MOCA, Novato California
GROUP EXHIBITION Evergold, San Francisco, California
PACIFIC SUN PHOTO CONTEST San Rafael, California
JURIED EXHIBITION Gallery Route One, Point Reyes, California
2008 EMERGING (i) 3 Freestyle Photography, Traveling Show, USA
ART IN THE REDWOODS Gualala, California
LANDSCAPE OTHER Rayko, San Francisco, California
JURIED EXHIBITION Gallery Route One, Point Reyes, California
2007 35 YEARS OF RICHARD ELKINGTON Reilly Gallery Providence RI
SFAI NOW Red Ink Studios, San Francisco, California
ART IN THE REDWOODS Gualala, California
EQ3 PRESENTS EQ3, San Francisco, California
EMERGING (i) 2 Freestyle Photography, Traveling Show, USA
NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION Art League California
JURIED EXHIBITION Gallery Route One, Point Reyes, California
2006 NATIONAL JURIED EXHIBITION Marin Art and Garden, Ross, CA
EBB AND FLOW Sausalito Bay Model, Sausalito, California
2003 POETIC LIGHT Hunt Cavinah Gallery, Providence, Rhode Island
PUBLICATIONS
2024 Dark Light, Book Publication, Datz Press 2024
2018 Elementum, Book Publication, Datz Press 2018
2017 Tilling The Past, Book Publication, Super Classy Publishing 2017
2014 B&W Magazine Single Image, Issue 101, February 2014
2009 Azamara Cruise Line, Brochure - Current
Eleven Eleven, Issue 7, pages 148-151
Discover Magazine, April 2009, pages 60-64
2008 Sacred Profane Book Publication, Edition One Studios
Ladakh Book Publication, Edition One Studios 2008
Another Country, Equal Access, RAH Publication 2008
Monthly Photographer Vol. 482, March 2008, Korea, Silence, pages 164-169
2007 Sacred Profane Book Publication, Edition One Studios 2007
Creative Quarterly Issue 10, Merit Award
American PHOTO on Campus March 2007, Student Portfolio Showcase, pages 14 – 15
AWARDS
2016 Honorable Mention, NVAL International Juried Show, Redding, CA
2014 People’s Choice Award, B&W Magazine, February 2014
3rd Place, NVAL International Juried Show, Redding, CA
2012 Overall Best of Show Photograph, Marin County Fair, San Rafael, CA
2011 Best of Show Monochrome Print, Marin County Fair, San Rafael, CA
2010 2nd Place, Marin Images, San Rafael, California
2009 2nd Place, Paul Sack Building Award
2nd Place, Marin Images, San Rafael, California
Honorable Mention, Marin MOCA, Novato California
2008 Two Judges Awards, Art In The Redwoods, National Juried Show
3rd Place, Paul Sack Building Award
Anne Bremer Memorial Artists Book Award
Merit Award, Creative Quarterly
2007 3rd Place, Art In The Redwoods, National Juried Show
Honorable Mention, Art League Northern CA, National Juried Show
2006 Honorable Mention, Sausalito Arts Commission, Ebb and Flow
WORK AFFILIATIONS
2013 - present Teacher at The Image Flow
2015 - 2016 Assistant and printer for Tabitha Soren
2009 Teacher Assistant for Henry Wessel, Spring Semester
2008 Teacher Assistant for Linda Connor, Fall Semester
Smith Anderson North Gallery: Work in the gallery and frame shop.
Volunteer for the non-profit PhotoAlliance. Monthly lectures and workshops.
Work as a printer: Private clients. Traditional Silver Gelatin processing and printing.
Work as a framer: Private clients.
LECTURES
2024 Marin Academy, Advanced Photography Class Lecture: Photography and my work process.
2014 Miraval Resort and Spa, Artist in Residence. Three Day Workshop
2012 San Francisco Art Institute, Noontime Lecture Series: Photography and the years following my MFA.
NOMINATIONS
2012 Nominated as a candidate for the 2012 SECA Art Award organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
2009 Fulbright Finalist: Austria – Tilling my Past
PRESS
2012 Access Institute, Spectrum 2012, October 2012
Marin Independent Journal, Mill Valley photographer Hendrik Paul tries to capture life’s quiet moments, Vicki Larson, October 2012
San Mateo County Times, Visual and Literary Arts, September 2012
San Francisco International Airport, Meditative Landscapes, Ramekon O’Arwisters, August 2012
2009 Rayko, Lightning, Lava and Bombs, Press Release, September 2009