Elliott Kreyenberg

“Patriarchy demands of men that they become and remain emotional cripples.”
— bell hooks

At a time when populist rhetoric, conflict, and war are on the rise worldwide, toxic notions of masculinity—glorifying strength and dominance—have resurfaced in various forms: the figure of the strongman, the protector of the home, and the aggressor.

In Something Was Missing Within, Elliott Kreyenberg turns his gaze inward, examining the emotional landscape shaped by patriarchal expectations of masculinity. The project explores how ideals of strength, control, and stoicism isolate men from their emotional selves, creating an inner silence that mirrors the violence these systems produce externally.

Kreyenberg photographed across Spain, Italy, France, Germany, and Ukraine. The project won the APhF:24 Dummy Award, was published by Witty Books, and was later presented at Paris Photo in 2025.