Born in France in 1996, to a Dutch mother and a French father, I grew up between Hong Kong, London and Paris. Being challenged by diverse perspectives from a very early age onwards, curiosity sparked quickly.
Photographing street scenes, environmental issues and the human dynamics being created around me made my eyes dance differently. Music was a big part of me but figuring that the rockstar scenario was not really my call, photographing their live shows gave me the pleasure of being in the space, hearing them, and sometimes meeting them afterwards. This was my first taste of what photography could do to me, combining the two, it became honey.
In 2014, I applied to Savannah College of Arts and Design located in Hong Kong, giving me the opportunity to study and live where I had vague scenes of my childhood memories. After spending two years at SCAD, I enjoyed creating art , it’s history and doing the “week’s project “ in Photo 101, but photography wise, the streets were showing and teaching me much more. I said goodbye to SCAD, growing my desire to learn differently.
The subways became my photographic playground and the street collectors, my friends. Trust and relationships were made. I loved spending my days collecting with them. Brake time consisted of playing mahjong with eighty year old ladies on the streets , in the back of a shop , on rooftops or in rooms full of men surrounded by cages. It showed me a part of Hong Kong which was not much talked about, at least I did not know much, it had the possibility to teach me a lot.
Presenting my first solo exhibition in Hong Kong in November 2015 through which I sold 25 photographs, gave me what I needed to continue a year freelancing “on the streets”. During this time, I had also been asked to work with Frog King, a Chinese artist, where the photographs were exposed at 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong Kong.
From January 2016 onwards I went the road with my camera; From Argentina to Uruguay’s road trips, Sailing races in the South of France and Italy, Marathons in Mongolia and Nepal leading me to commissioned works in Laos, Phuket and Bali.
In May 2016, I came back to prepare my next exhibition " On the Road Again", a selection of 31 photographs, taken in 12 different places I had travelled to in the past year. One of the pictures was catalogued and sold at the ‘First Opening’, Christie’s Auction in Hong Kong for three times its estimated price.
September 2017, direction New York City to attend the International Center of Photography, in the documentary and photo-journalism program. I I met a couple of recyclers on the street and volunteered at Sure We Can, a redemption center in Brooklyn which has become my main project. The entire process reminded me of the days in Hong Kong, it felt like home. I met José on the streets of Manhattan, sixty five years old from Puerto Rico and with perfect english, I spent my time between collecting with him and photographing at Smalls, a live Jazz bar in Manhattan.
In 2019, I went back to NYC to finish my project on «Is the Trash Singing », which has been selected as a project for Women in Photography, 2021.
In the meantime I got commissioned by Les Echos, Séries Limités, a French magazine, to photograph seven powerful women in France and Milan and worked on a film set as backstage photographer for a Netflix series called Family Business.
In 2020 I enrolled at UCLA Extension until March 2020. I flew to Hong Kong where about a week later I got commissioned to make a short film for a designer deconstructing Hermès bags. I also got commissioned to make a book about a client’s home and different freelance projects.
In October 2020, I curated my exhibition “An Ode to the Odd” inviting different artists and musicians to share the space, in Hong Kong which lasted a month.
Since I got back to France in June 2021, I sailed a lot, doing some regattas and photographing the Maxi Week in Saint Tropez, which a portfolio features in Les Echos. In Italy, I met Giovanni Soldini, who accepted me to make a portrait of him. I joined him in Malta where we sailed the Maserati Multi 70 back to LaSpezia, Italy. I got commissioned to photograph people’s home, portraits of artist and much more.
I am currently based in Paris.. if you are interested to hire me you can contact me at helleumargaux@gmail.com
