Francoise Huguier Biography
Vietnamese born Françoise Huguier is one of the great reportage photographers, winning the World Press Photo Prize in 1993. Traveling the globe and documenting the everyday rituals of the peoples of the world, her black and white snapshot-style photographs record both urban and tribal rituals, from catching the bus to burying the dead.
Huguier's characters, whatever their tribe, wear their belongings and 'costumes' with pride - their accoutrements are an extension of their bodies. This goes some way to explaining why Huguier's other main photographic work is within fashion photography. She began her foray into the fashion world in Tokyo with Issey Miyake and soon spread her wings to work alongside Karl Lagerfeld, Thierry Mugler, Jean-Paul Gaultier, and especially Christian Lacroix, whose work she has been following and capturing for many years.
Whilst still exhibiting her African photographs widely and chronicling fashion shows, Huguier has also made a short film, Journ'e Ordinaire. This film continues her familiar themes of imprisonment and dependency through the eyes of a drug addict, and was shortlisted for the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.
Awards
Awarded a grant in Durban, South Africa, 1997
Awarded a grant in Durban, South Africa, 1996
World Press Photo Prize, 1993
D'l'gation aux Arts Plastiques and Villa M'dicis Institution grant for six months work in polar Siberia, 1992
Fondation Cartier and L'onard de Vinci Foundation grant, 1992
D'l'gation aux Arts Plastiques and Villa M'dicis Foundation grant for a project in Africa, 1988
KODAK Prize for fashion photography, 1986
Solo Exhibitions
'Sublimes', Espace Electra, Foundation Electricit' de France, Paris, 1999
Cologne Art show, Cologne, Germany, 1998
'A L'Extreme', Maison Europ'enne de la Photographie', Paris, 1998
'SecrStes', NOMADE Gallery, Paris, 1996
'En route pour Behring', festival de la photographie, Perpignan, France, 1994
Galerie Maeght, Paris, 1993
Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie, Arles, France, 1988
Retrospective, Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie, Arles, France, 1987
Group Exhibitions
'50th anniversaire de Tati', Musee des Arts D'coratifs, Paris, 1998
African photography, NOMADE Gallery, Paris, 1998
'Africa-elles', Evry, France, 1998
'La photographie contemporaine en France, dix ans d'acquisitions', Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, 1996
'Sur les traces de L'Afrique Fant"me', Centre de la Vicille Charit', Marseille, France, 1990
'Sur les traces de L'Afrique Fant"me', Mus'e de L'Elys'e, Lausanne, Switzerland, 1990. Traveling to Yugoslavia, West Africa, New York, London.
Tokyo, 1987
Bibliography
Sublimes, Editions Actes Sud, 1999
Le Monde, set of daily photographs during Paris Fashion Week, 1997
SecrStes, portraits of African women, Editions Actes Sud, 1996
En route pour Behring, Maeght 'diteur, Paris, 1993
Sur les traces de L'Afrique Fant"me, Maeght 'diteur, Paris, 1990
In collaboration with LIB?RATION, photo reports about fashion, cinema and politics, 1983
Filmography
Journ'e Ordinaire, short film, selected for the Cannes Festival, 1999