source: lensculture

I made this series with the desire to build a set of symbolic portraits inspired by my background of double cultures. I’m French with Middle Eastern origins.

I worked by using the pictorial tradition of still lives. I chose to put forward characters where the nature and objects they carry come from different rites and customs.

The photographs can be grouped into three metaphorical categories:

Firstly the “mark”, with elements of uncultivated land, evocative death and rebirth.

Secondly, the “fight” with a reinterpretation of the various struggles and honors of war, as a tribute to ancestors, veterans sometimes death indifference or anonymity of the war.

And finally, the symbol of “femininity” located in the context of two cultures, French and Algerian, sometimes felt as a dichotomy, sometimes as a sign of diversity.

Here jewels, feathers, branches, flowers, hats, decorative ribbons become evocative symbols of seduction, femininity, youth, memory, struggle, life and death.

Playing on the accumulation of symbols, and profusion of accessories the subjects become still life-like totems or family crests.
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source: mariehudelotfr

J’ai réalisé cette série de photographies argentique dans une volonté de construire un ensemble de portaits symboliques en m’inspirant des différents attributs de mon héritage familial partagé entre orient et occident, et plus précisemment entre la France et l’Algérie. Traitée à la manière de la tradition picturale des natures mortes, j’ai choisi de mettre en avant des personnages au visage recouvert, où la nature et différents objets significatifs de rites et coutumes prennent l’ascendant sur l’individu dans une réinterprétation de la transmission.
Les photographies peuvent être regroupées en trois sous-ensembles, tel des châpitres métaphoriques:
Celui de «la trace», plus abstrait, avec des éléments d’une nature en friche ou recomposée, évocatrice de mort et renaissance.
Celui des «combats» avec une réinterprétation des différents luttes et honneurs de la guerre, tel un hommage aux ancêtres, anciens combattants parfois mort dans l’indifférence ou l’anonymat de la guerre.
Et enfin le symbole de la «féminité» situé dans le contexte de double culture occidentale et orientale, tantôt ressenti comme une dichotomie, tantôt comme un signe de mixité.
Ici les bijoux, plumes, branches, racines, fleurs, chapeaux, rubans décoratifs et fourragères deviennent symboles évocateurs de mémoire, combat séduction, féminité, jeunesse, vie et mort. En jouant sur l’accumulation, la profusion voire l’exagération et la proximité de ces objets, les sujets se transforment en nature morte semblables à des totems ou emblèmes familiaux et mettent en avant mon questionnement sur la complexité de l’identité à travers l’héritage familial.
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source: mariehudelotfr

I made this series with the desire to build a set of symbolic portraits inspired by my background of double cultures. I’m French with algerian origins.
I worked by using the pictorial tradition of still lives, I chose to put forward characters, where the nature and objects they carry, come from different rites and customs.
The photographs can be grouped into three metaphorical categories: The “mark”, with elements of uncultivated land, evocative death and rebirth.
The “fght” with a reinterpretation of the various struggles and honors of war, as a tribute to ancestors, veterans sometimes death indifference or anonymity of the war.
And fnally the symbol of “femininity” located in the context of two cultures, Freanch and Algerian, sometimes felt as a dichotomy, sometimes as a sign of diversity.
Here jewels, feathers, branches, fowers, hats, decorative ribbons become evocative symbols of seduction, femininity, youth, memory, struggle, life and death.
Playing on the accumulation of symbols, profusion of accessories the subjects become still life-like totems or family crests.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
source: facebook

Heritage
“Fiz esta série com o desejo de realizar um conjunto de retratos simbólicos inspirados nas minhas raízes de duas culturas. Sou francesa com antecedentes do Médio Oriente. Utilizei a tradição pictórica da natureza-morta, optando por criar personagens, nas quais a natureza e objetos, vêm de diferentes ritos e tradições. As fotografias podem ser agrupadas em três categorias metafóricas: Em primeiro lugar a “marca”, com elementos de terras não cultivadas, evocação da morte e renascimento. Em segundo lugar, a “luta”, com uma reinterpretação das várias batalhas e honras de guerra, como uma homenagem aos antepassados, aos veteranos, por vezes à indiferença em relação à morte ou ao anonimato da guerra. E finalmente o símbolo da “feminilidade”, localizado no contexto das duas culturas, Francesa e Argelina, por vezes sentida como uma dicotomia, outras como um sinal de diversidade. Aqui, joias, penas, galhos, flores, chapéus, fitas decorativas, tornam-se símbolos evocativos de sedução, feminilidade, juventude, memória, luta, vida e morte. Jogando com a acumulação de símbolos e profusão de acessórios, os sujeitos tornam-se totems ao estilo de naturezas-mortas ou brasões de família.