Mur Nomade presents a selection of works from Niko de La Faye’s Visages series this September. The collection series is a two-year long photographic project conducted between Paris and Shanghai.

De La Faye is not a believer of the idea of model casting; instead, all models were volunteers that he has met in life personally. The mesmerizing shapes and colours on his artworks together with the existing landscapes of the human faces have resulted in a fascinating series, symbolizing encounters with people.

At the exhibition presented at Mur Nomade, Niko de La Faye will interact with the visitors through an audio recording on iPod, amplifying the presence of the models as if they came to life through de La Faye’s photographs. Through the voice and words from the artist, one artwork following another, the stories behind each painted face become even stronger, creating a personal connection among the visitors, the artist and the models.

Niko de la Faye’s Visages series, as part of the Hong Kong International Photo Festival, offers a reflection on the role of the photographer plays in the exercise of portraiture. A portrait is the representation of the way the artist sees his or her model; with this representation painted directly on the face of the model, instead of being captured through the lens of the camera or depicted on a canvas, the photography comes in as the final layer in the sequence of representations.

Image: © Niko de La Faye
Courtesy of the artist and Mur Nomade