Two emerging photographers, Jeanne Narquin and Émilie Brécard, have been selected as this week's featured artists for their compelling exploration of femininity through distinctly different approaches. Narquin captures intimate portraits of women she encountered during her travels to Japan, while Brécard focuses on self-portraiture as a form of artistic dialogue.
Jeanne Narquin's photographic journey began with an ambitious solo trip to Japan last year, where she spent two months working on her final thesis project for Les Gobelins art school. "Last year, I went to Japan alone for two months to complete my graduation thesis at Les Gobelins. I documented my life through portraits of all the people I met, either in person or through Instagram. I made a book at the end of the year, and this summer, I returned there to produce new images," Narquin explains.
Having first discovered Japan as a child during a family trip, the photographer developed a deep connection to the country that drew her back as an artist. Her approach involves building genuine relationships with her subjects before photographing them. "These are portraits of people I spent time with, sometimes for an evening, sometimes for several days," she notes. Her work combines the aesthetic sensibility of fashion editorials with the intimacy of documentary photography, capturing subjects both in outdoor settings and within the privacy of their homes.
Narquin's artistic focus centers on analog photography and female subjects, driven by her desire to capture something beyond surface appearance. "I photograph mainly women and I work primarily with film photography. What interests me is capturing intimacy, a presence in the gaze or in the light," she concludes. Her images reveal moments of quiet connection between photographer and subject, creating a visual narrative that bridges cultural boundaries.
Émilie Brécard takes a markedly different approach, turning the camera inward to explore femininity through self-portraiture. She has made femininity her primary artistic theme, using her own body as both subject and canvas. "My work explores the body as material and as language to reveal what is both fascinating and disturbing," the photographer declares.
Serving as the muse of her own compositions, Brécard develops an ongoing dialogue with herself through her art, experimenting with form and contour while challenging conventional notions of vulnerability and strength. She views her self-revelation not as an expression of vulnerability, but as evidence of her power and agency as an artist.
Brécard's creative process involves blurring the boundaries between reality and possibility, prioritizing sensation over literal representation. "The project is inspired by slightly off-kilter worlds, where reality mixes with the imaginary to create breathing atmospheres," she explains. Each photograph functions as an autonomous scene, with careful attention paid to lighting, framing, textures, and gesture.
The artist maintains complete control over her creative process, from initial capture to final development. "I control every step of the process, from shooting to developing the films, so that the final result remains faithful to this idea. It's precise work, but one that leaves room for surprises and accidents, those that sometimes give images their particular breath," Brécard notes. This meticulous approach allows for both technical precision and spontaneous discovery, creating images that balance careful planning with organic artistic moments.
