Born 1993 in Worms, Germany | Based in Berlin, Germany

Frederik Rüegger is a Berlin-based photographer whose work explores themes of identity, culture, and the human form. Frederik left his hometown at the age of 18 to move to New York, a decision that profoundly shaped his artistic perspective and creative journey. With a background spanning both art and science, Frederik completed a Bachelor of Science at the Sports University Cologne in 2016 before transitioning to photography, earning a Bachelor of Arts from the renowned Ostkreuz School for Photography in 2025.

His creative achievements have been recognized internationally, including accolades such as being a finalist in the Festival Fotografia Etica, Sony World Photography Awards, and the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery. Frederik's work has also earned second-place honors in competitions by TIME Magazine & ASMP, as well as the New York Photography Awards.

Frederik's photography has been featured in prestigious exhibitions, including the 2024 Sony World Photography Award exhibition at Somerset House in London.

His publications span collaborations with esteemed magazines such as Frog Magazine and Lampoon Magazine, showcasing projects ranging from editorial pieces to his acclaimed Bodybuilder series. His work will further expand into print with the upcoming release of his book I’m a Stranger in This Country through Kehrer Verlag in 2025.

I'm A Stranger In This Country

Frederik Rüegger spent over two years visiting Great Britain and Ireland to make the photographs for his book of Roma, or Travellers’ horse fairs, I Am a Stranger in This Country. His vibrant, complex images capture all the excitement and social interaction in the country towns where Travellers traditionally meet - to display and trade horses - but also to engage in a wide range of cultural activities, including selling other goods and making music together. Rüegger’s title, l Am a Stranger in This Country reflects his status as a visitor and also that of the Travellers’ as ‘outsiders’ in British and Irish society. He was inspired, as a boxing enthusiast, by the fact that heavyweight Tyson Fury is a Roma - created a wish to document a whole way of life that is under threat from both changes in contemporary society and prejudice in a post-Brexit nationalist Britain. Rüegger’s pictures are not simply a document but a celebration of innovative and creative picture-making.

Social media handles

@frederikruegger