Mathias Depardon was raised between France, Belgium and the US. After studying social communication and journalism in Brussels, Mathias joined the Belgian national newspaper Le Soir before devoting himself to reportage and feature work. His immersive process and slower approach to journalism allow for comprehensive bodies of work that reveal and frame important social, economic and political issues in territories under tension where he questions the idea of identity and territory. Through series of portraits and landscapes, Mathias Depardon probes a Turkey torn between modernization and the reminiscence of the ottoman values evoking the notion of Pan-Turkism in the neighboring countries.
In 2018 he is the finalist of the Grand Prix de la Photographie Documentaire in Sète and the recipient of the CNAP Grant (Centre national des arts plastiques, Paris) for Contemporary Documentary Photography. For the 49th edition of Les Rencontres d'Arles, Mathias exhibited as part of 'A Pillar of Smoke' - a look at Turkey’s contemporary photography scene.
In 2019 he is the laureate of Les Regards du Grand Paris in partnership with les Ateliers Médicis and CNAP. In 2020 he's the winner of the Yves Rocher Foundation Grant which will allow him to pursue his project on the drying out of the Mesopotamian Rivers.
Exhibitions have included the Bibliothèque nationale de France and more recently the Musée des Archives nationales in Paris for his solo exhibition TRANS ANATOLIA (2017). He's work is published and commissioned regularly by leading international periodicals including National Geographic, M Le Magazine du Monde, Le Figaro Magazine along with photographic periodicals such as The British Journal of Photography and The European Photography Magazine among others. He is a member of The Photo Society / National Geographic and the author of TRANS ANATOLIA / André Frère Editions 2020.
Solo+Group Exhibitions
2021 - La Filature. TRANS ANATOLIA. Mulhouse, France
2021 - Festival Ôrizons Rencontre des arts et des cultures du Proche-Orient. Périgueux, France
2021 - La Gacilly. Les larmes du Tigre. La Gacilly, France
2020 - Planches Contact. Being yourself is the best Revolution! Deauville, France
2019 - Paris Photo. TRANS ANATOLIA. Gallery The PILL. Paris, France
2019 - Photaumnales. Tales from the Land in Between. Groupshow. Beauvais, France
2019- ImageSingulières. Tales From the Land in Between. Solo Exhibition. Sète, France
2018- Jimei X Arles International Photo Festival. Une Colonne de Fumée. Group show. Xiamen, China
2018 - Thessaloniki Photo Biennale. Iron Earth, Copper Sky. Group Show. Thessaloniki, Greece
2018 - Les Rencontres d'Arles. Une Colonne de Fumée. Group show. Arles, France
2017 - Musée des Archives nationales. TRANS ANATOLIA. Solo Exhibition. Paris, France
2017 - Rule-Breakers The Exhibition. GoldRivers. Group Show. London, England
2017 - Les Rencontres d’Arles. Projection of Gold Rivers. Arles, France
2017 - Just Another Photo Festival. The WildWest. Varanasi, India
2017 - Tbilisi Photo Festival. Gold Rivers. Tbilisi, Georgia
2016 - Tianshui Photography Biennale. Postcards of The Black Sea. Tianshui, China
2015 - Foto Istanbul Festival. Postcards of The Black Sea. Istanbul, Turkey
2015 - Institut Français d’Istanbul. Postcards of The Black Sea. Istanbul, Turkey
2014 - Transcontinent/Obscura Photo Festival. Postcards of The Black Sea. Penang, Malaysia
2013 - Mahal Cultural Center. Beyond The Borders. Cannakale, Turkey
2013 - Institut Français d’Istanbul. Beyond The Borders. Istanbul, Turkey
2012 - Hannover Young Photojournalism Lumix Festival. Beyond The Borders. Hannover, Germany
2012 - Dust and Scratches Gallery. Beyond The Borders. Moscow, Russia
2011 - Bibliothèque Nationale de France. Bourse du Talent. BeyondThe Borders. Paris, France
2011 - Press Scoop Grand Lille. UnPrintemps Arabe. Group Show. Lille, France
2011 - Instituto Cervantes. Revolutiones with CensuraLab and MJR. Group Show. New York, USA
Awards
2020 - Yves Rocher Foundation Grant. Winner. Visa / Perpignan, France
2019 - Atelier MEDICIS / CNAP. Les Regards du Grand Paris. Laureate. Paris, France
2018 - CNAP. Soutien à la Photographie Documentaire et Contemporaine. Nominee. Paris, France
2018 - Grand Prix de la Photographie Documentaire. Images Singulières/Mediapart. Finalist. Sète, France
2016 - Gd4Photoart Award by MAST Foundation. Shotlisted nominee. Bologna, Italy
2011 - International Photography Awards. Honorable Mention. Editorial Reportage. Los Angeles, USA
2011 - Bourse du Talent/Reportage. Winner. Paris, France
Agencies
2017/2020 - Institute of Artist. Los Angeles/London (Contract ended)
2012/2016 - Getty Images. New York, USA
2011/2012 - Getty Reportage/Emerging Talent. New York/London
Residencies
2020 -Planches Contact / Les Franciscaines. Deauville, France
2016 - Docking Station. Amsterdam, Holland
2016 - Tianshui Photography Biennale. Tianshui, China
2011 - Eddie Adams Workshop XXIV. New York, USA