ENTRY DESCRIPTION
The constructions, materials, and objects are a reflection of the soul. It has always been obvious to me. When I was a child, I gave a name to my record player, my cactus, my pen. Later, I discovered the symbolic and ritual power of objects that have existed for tens of thousands of years. Today I see the lines of force, light, density of everything created by nature or man. What if we looked at things differently? Beauty does not need justifications.

Those who look at this picture see a stifling urban landscape, like the megacities of China or America, pierced by a light of hope. This is what I felt and wanted to express. But upon closer inspection, they understand that it is a set of pallets in an industrial warehouse. I enjoy seeing their surprise when they discover that photography does not pretend to tell the truth, and that the meaning lies in the photographer’s gaze and in the viewer’s eyes. The gaze is everything.

AUTHOR
Muriel Pénicaud is a photographer, author and committed advocate. Passionate about photography since the age of 11, she has developed a humanistic and poetic approach inspired by Henri Cartier-Bresson's maxim: "Photographing is putting one’s head, eye, and heart on the same line of sight."
Her photographic vision harvests the ephemeral, reveals the invisible, tames the world's contradictions, and awakens the imagination. Each image creates an intimate connection between the photograph and the viewer, whether it's the flight of a bird, the depth of a gaze, the meaning of a gesture, the soul of trees, or women's freedom, reflecting her quest for wonder and her social commitment.
Exhibited internationally (Paris, Tokyo, Beijing, Pondicherry, Dakar, Barcelona, Athens), she published her first monograph Matrix of Worlds with SKIRA in 2024, prefaced by photographer REZA. Overall global winner of the 2024 Julia Margaret Cameron Award and four other international distinctions, she also serves as president of the jury for three photography competitions.
Former French Minister of Labor, ambassador, and business executive, she continues her commitments in favor of women, youth, and art, notably through the Sakura Foundation she created to support emerging artists committed to societal issues.

back to gallery