In the gallery space of his studio - Nick Veasey works surrounded by the very pieces that define his practice. For the artist, this proximity is more than practical; it’s a constant reminder to push further. Seeing new X-rays alongside finished works keeps his standards high, encouraging him to refine and elevate each image before it leaves the studio.

At first glance, Veasey’s work is striking in its simplicity. A car reveals its engine, a figure exposes its inner structure - everything laid bare through the lens of X-ray. But beneath this clarity lies a deeper intention. As the artist explains, his work is “a statement against society’s obsession with superfluous nonsense,” shifting focus instead to what truly matters: what’s happening beneath the surface.

This fascination with what lies within has shaped Veasey’s entire career. Initially drawn to photography from a young age, he began working behind the scenes - managing and commissioning imagery for advertising and design. It wasn’t until he discovered X-ray imaging that his practice found its defining voice. That moment became a turning point, transforming both his creative direction and his career.

Each artwork is far more complex than it first appears. Veasey’s human figures, for example, are meticulously constructed from multiple X-rays. A skeleton - the “star” of his work - is carefully posed and captured, before layers are built around it. Muscle tissue is suggested through X-rays of organic materials, while clothing is photographed separately, shaped with subtle interventions to create natural movement and form. Jewellery, objects, and environments are then added piece by piece. A single composition can comprise well over a hundred individual X-ray images, seamlessly combined to create one cohesive scene.

This process extends to his larger works and ambitious projects. Early in his career, Veasey famously X-rayed a car - purchasing a Mini for just £175 and painstakingly dismantling it into sections to capture each component. The process took months and a dedicated team, resulting in one of his most iconic images. His curiosity for machinery continues to evolve, with plans to explore increasingly complex subjects, from vehicles to aircraft.

His practice has also moved beyond the studio walls. A significant milestone came through his collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum, where he developed a mobile X-ray studio to examine pieces from the museum’s fashion collection. Installed in London for several months, the project allowed him to reveal the hidden structures of historic garments, merging art, design, and technology in a wholly original way.

Despite the technical intricacy behind each piece, Veasey’s work remains immediately accessible - something he considers a strength. This clarity has contributed to an international career, culminating in major exhibitions including a landmark retrospective at the Fotografiska in Stockholm. The exhibition attracted over 100,000 visitors and featured large-scale works, including a life-sized X-ray of a bus stretching an extraordinary 40 feet in length.

From intimate objects to monumental installations, Veasey’s work invites us to reconsider how we see the world. By stripping away surfaces, he reveals not just the physical structures beneath, but a broader commentary on value, perception, and the essence of things. In his studio, surrounded by these layered, luminous images, that philosophy remains at the core of everything he creates.