About
I am a photographic artist born in Paris and now live and work from my base in Margaret River. I am known for my portrayal of the Western Australian landscape, often employing aerial captures and portraiture to tell important stories of our times. My approach to artistic work is based on a career in photojournalism, including a decade covering UN peacekeeping missions in conflict zones, in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Timor-Leste and West Africa where I documented the Ebola crisis.
As a peacekeeping photographer I had regularly flown on UN helicopters on missions to remote places. I had learnt there was no better way of getting an understanding of unfamiliar terrain than to see it from above.
Outside of my work as a United Nations peacekeeping photographer, I decided to focus on more personal projects. In July 2015 I decided to fly over the salt lakes of the Western Australian Goldfields to photograph a series called Gungurrunga Ngawa (Look Above), as a sequel to my earlier books and the exhibition From Above, Margaret River Region which captured aerial views of the southwest region of Western Australia.
No matter how many times I would study the maps of these regions to prepare for my photography flights, nothing would match the beauty of what I could see with my own eyes. By varying my flying altitude at different times of day and playing with the sun's angle I could capture striking colors and highlight unusual shapes and patterns.
My recent projects Ngala Wongga (Come Talk) - Cultural Significance of Languages in the Goldfields (exhibited across Western Australia with ART ON THE MOVE and at the Australian embassy in Paris for the International Year of Indigenous Languages in 2019) and Belong – Language connecting feeling, culture, country highlighting the importance of First Nations' languages exhibited at the WA Museum Boola Bardip in Perth 2021/ 2022. https://vimeo.com/693087821
In December 2022, I was honoured to travel to Paris with Wardandi Elders Vivian Brockman Webb, Mitchella Hutchins and artist Roly Skender to launch the UNESCO International Decade of Indigenous Languages with the presentation of the collaborative audio-visual work Wannang Biridge (Light of the Peppermint Tree), which was originally created at The Farm Margaret River, following a residency with SymbioticA on photomicrography at CELLCentral in the school of Anatomy and Human Biology at The University of Western Australia.
Delighted to be part of Great Australian Walks Season 2, 2024 with Julia Zemiro: https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/watch/2360168003633
Exhibition highlights:
Exhibited at WA Museum Boola Bardip, Holmes à Court Gallery,
The Good Sheds, Bunbury Gallery, Australian Embassy in Paris, and in collection at Wesfarmers, St John of God, WA Museum, Voyager Estate.
Solo Exhibition
Dec 24-June 25: 'Djanung Nala Meela - Looking through our eyes" - Museum of the Great Southern - Albany
Nov 2024: Djanga Spirit: Head On Photo festival ( The Farm Margaret River )
_____________
2023: Wannang Biridge – Margaret River HEART – CinefestOZ festival
2023: Transference – Ellenbrook Arts Gallery
2021/22: Belong - language connecting feeling, culture, country - WA Museum Boola Bardip – Perth
2020: Beyond – Above Western Australia - The Bank Gallery - North Midland Project – Carnamah
2019: Invitation panel talk on digital work launch of International Year of Indigenous Languages Paris, UNESCO 2019: Ngala Wongga exhibition- Australian embassy - Paris - France - Cannery Arts Centre - Esperance - WA ART ON THE MOVE (AOTM) - Katanning Arts Centre WA - ART ON THE MOVE, Mandurah Performing Arts Centre gallery space WA – AOTM; 2017: Carnarvon Gallery WA - ART ON THE MOVE ; 2017 - TAFE Central Gallery - Perth – WA; 2016: inaugural on 30 September at Goldfields Arts Centre, Kalgoorlie - WA
Group Exhibition
2025: Paper Tigers - Courthouse Gallery- Cairns
2022-2024: Ebb+Flow North Midlands project, Carnamah - Port Hedland Courthouse Gallery – Kalgoorlie – Margaret River – Kalamunda.
2016/2017/2018/2019/2020/21/22/23/24 Margaret River Open Studios – The Farm Margaret River
2023: Emergences Open Border – Holmes à Court Gallery at Vasse Felix – Margaret River -WA
2022: Coalesce group show with artists from South West WA. Bunbury regional Gallery - WA
2022: SWAN – South West Art Now – Good Sheds – Perth - WA
2022: SWAN – South West Art Now - Bunbury regional Gallery - WA
2021: Head On photo festival Leiden - The Netherlands
2020: Paper Tigers Australia’s Contemporary Photojournalists - Head On - Sydney - NSW
2018: Australiyaniality Holmes à Court Gallery - Perth - WA
Awards:
2024: Finalist to the 2024 French-Australian Excellence Awards
2023: Finalist National Photographic Portrait Prize – National Portrait Gallery - Canberra
2023 : Finalist Midwest Art Prize – Geraldton Regional Art Gallery
2022: Finalist Mandorla Art Award - Perth
2021: Finalist Midwest Art Prize – Geraldton Regional Art Gallery
2020: Finalist Best Feature Photographic Essay The Guardian, “Ebola Response in North Kivu – Democratic Republic of the Congo” MEAA Western Australia Media Awards https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2019/sep/29/ebola-response-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo-in-pictures
2019: Olive Cotton award 2019 - finalist - Tweed Regional Gallery,
2017: Finalist Head On Portrait Prize – Sydney - Museum of Sydney
2016: Winner Best photography in Show - City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Art Prize
2016: Finalist Doug Moran Contemporary Prize
I am truly lucky to call Western Australia home. I hope you enjoy this visual journey above this very special place.
