Julian Klincewicz Reimagines Creativity With the New Google Pixel 9 Pro
As AI enhances creative possibilities, Julian Klincewicz stays anchored in his philosophy of “looking in love,” allowing him to navigate the digital age without losing his human touch. His work explores the tender spaces between loss, intimacy, and memory, where the personal becomes universal.
For Berlin Art Week 2024, Klincewicz unveiled a fresh perspective on his work, created in collaboration with Google Pixel. Known for his evocative blend of photography, fashion, and visual storytelling, Klincewicz’s work has always danced between the realms of art and documentation. With the Pixel 9 Pro's AI-driven camera as his latest muse, he’s turning technology into a creative ally rather than a simple tool.
Throughout our conversation, Klincewicz opens up about his journey, the creative process behind his latest project, and how technology is reshaping his art. From his early days capturing skate culture on film to working with global brands, he remains rooted in a philosophy of creating from a place of love and genuine connection. As he reflects on the evolution of the themes of his work—from youth culture to the complexities of loss and transformation—Klincewicz continues to push boundaries, all while staying true to his pure artistic vision. And even with new tools like AI at his fingertips, Klincewicz’s approach remains refreshingly analog at its core—deeply emotional, always evolving.
Can you tell us a bit about your journey as a photographer and multidisciplinary artist? How did you first discover your passion for visual storytelling?
I grew up with a lot of creative outlets—drawing, painting, crafts. In middle school, some friends introduced me to photography, and by highschool, I was shooting more video projects—largely through skating and music. Until recently, I didn’t think much about storytelling. I was always more interested in communicating feelings, setting a mood, and conveying something emotional. In the past few years, I've started to focus more on storytelling, and it feels like a new frontier to explore.
What or who inspires your work?
I find inspiration in art, other artists… and everyday life. I remember reading a quote from Rei Kawakubo saying she never looks to other art for inspiration, and I thought, “I’m the opposite”. I love looking at and collecting art books—studying great artists brings me lots of excitement and inspiration. Recently, in Berlin, I saw Naama Tsabar’s sculptures and instruments—some of the most interesting work I've seen in a long time.
Your work often blurs the lines between documentary and artistic expression. How do you balance capturing raw, authentic moments while still conveying a strong artistic narrative?
I follow a mantra when filming and taking photos: “Look in love”—meaning, look from a place of love, look with love, see what you love, and capture from that feeling of love. That feeling guides the balance. The rest usually falls into place naturally, one step at a time. I start with an idea, take images, and then it all evolves throughout the editing process until finally, I make sense of it all.
Recurring themes in your work include youth culture, memory, and the intimacy of human connection. What draws you to these themes, and how have they evolved in your recent projects?
At the core, the underlying theme is just humanness—trying to make sense of the world in real-time. When I was making work about youth culture, I was living it. Memory and intimacy are eternal touch points—the romanticized and dream-like qualities of a memory, the feeling of intimacy. This past year I've been processing and making sense of loss. Whether it’s the death of a friend or a loved one, but also the loss of some piece of your identity—loss is also a catalyst for transformation. My current exhibition, “Encyclopedia of Now”, incorporates these themes. I created a wall collage at the gallery space but structured like a poem, pairing images together in real-time and expanding them outwards—like a visual poem.
Collaboration is a big part of your creative process. How do you approach working with brands, models, or other creatives while still maintaining your unique voice and vision?
Collaboration gives me a framework to build from. If there’s a genuine connection, I find a personal expression of that connection by asking, what does this mean to me? How does it make me feel? And that’s really the secret. The real collaboration happens when two worlds start melting together.
How do you define success in your work? Is it more about achieving a specific aesthetic, evoking an emotion, or something else entirely?
In my heart, success for me is making something I love. If I genuinely think it’s awesome, then that’s a win. It depends what the goal is; the definition of success varies with each project. Sometimes, it’s about pushing limits or finding new techniques that feel exciting and innovative. And the big win is when something is both challenging and fun.
Could you walk us through the concept behind your latest series created with the Pixel 9 Pro?
This project was an exciting challenge. I normally shoot only on film with lots of texture and noise, but I wanted to challenge myself by doing something almost opposite to my usual process. When Google approached me about shooting with the Pixel 9 Pro, I saw it as an opportunity to experiment with a new tool and see where it could take me creatively. So I said yes please—let's see what happens.
How did the AI-powered features of the phone influence your creative decisions?
They were fun to play around with! While I didn’t rely on them for composition or lighting, the Sky features were really fun. The Magic Editor feature, where you can resize, replace elements or just make them disappear, felt radical.
What specific tools stood out to you during the shoot?
The 5x optical zoom and the fact that it shoots in RAW. The quality of the images is stunning, and they can easily serve as raw material for more edited work. It was definitely a new way to push my boundaries with digital photography.
In what ways did it streamline your workflow?
I treated the phone as a sketchbook—a real time photo journal. One big idea going into the project was just to think about how I use my phone to take photos. So that’s how I approached this project and exhibition—like a real time diary of what was interesting to me.
When creating this project, did you discover any unexpected advantages of working with the Pixel 9 Pro that you might apply in future projects?
The biggest takeaway was understanding how I can incorporate digital photography into my work. My aesthetic is usually very textural, colorful, and analog, and now I feel like I’ve fully grasped how to integrate digital elements into that. For instance, I had some of the images printed as giclée prints, just to see them in a physical form. One of my most consistent practices is making a daily to-do list, where I experiment and create something self-expressive for that day. Over the past month, I started using those Pixel images in my to-do lists, turning them into physical collages. It felt almost radical—like sampling my own work. Suddenly, I had this raw material to create something entirely new. This has expanded my perspective on digital mediums.
How does incorporating tech into your work align with your vision as an artist?
I'm always evolving as an artist and creating work that excites and challenges me. After this project, I’m eager to explore something more tech-driven—like a spatial film or video sculpture, using the latest VR technologies. At the same time, I view technology as an addition to my existing practice. The question is: how can I use these new tools to enhance what I already do? What if you could step inside the textures and color fields I create? The possibilities are really exciting.
Finally, what’s next for you?
Music. I’m working on lots of music… and world building around that music.
