Your name
Valentin Valette
Place of birth
Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France
Place where you live now
Between Hautes-Pyrénées and Northern Africa
3 words to describe you
Social, Emotional, Curious
Why do you take pictures?
My passion for the world led me to pursue studies in the humanities and social sciences internationally. During my first trips, I decided to bring a camera, and it has never left my side since. I was fascinated by the possibility of capturing moments. As I continued to meet new people and make new discoveries, I was driven by the desire to tell stories. Through constant practice, I gradually developed a taste for imagery, both in its material and immaterial aspects. I truly cherish how photography has enabled me, and continues to enable me, to explore diverse places and spaces during both fleeting visits and extended stays.
Where do you get your inspiration?
By browsing through many photographic works and drawing inspiration from thousands of high-quality projects.
Who are your influences?
My influence primarily stems from my studies in the humanities and social sciences. I enjoy photographing subjects that can also be objects of scientific research. In this way, I attempt to incorporate concepts from the humanities and social sciences into my documentary photography practice. Conversely, I also try to utilize photography when conducting research. The combination of my studies and travels has undoubtedly led me to documentary photography. Political, scientific, and geopolitical subjects thus hold a strong appeal for me. My practice is derived from my life experiences, encounters, and the discovery of beautiful documentary works. This is why I do not feel particularly connected to any specific authors, but rather to a more varied and general influence.
What determines the subject matter you choose?
The lack of knowledge, the geographical area, the feasibility, and the importance of the subject.
What impact would you like your art to have?
I would modestly hope that my documentaries help inform people who have little or no knowledge or ideas about the subject.
What artwork do you never get bored with?
The filmography of Abbas Kiarostami
Is there anything you want to add?
In 2024, I started a PhD Thesis in visual anthropology entitled "The Harkis and Algeria: links, experiences, and circulations" which intersects with the sociology of migrations, memories, and belongings. I am affiliated with the Research Institute on Contemporary Maghreb (IRMC) in Tunisia and the Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology (IDEAS) at Aix-Marseille University. I aspire today to continue investigating the political and economic trajectories of Gulf countries while developing an author's photography within the industrial and entrepreneurial worlds.

Ashes of the Arabian’s Pearl
Project Statement

On January 10, 2020, the Sultanate of Oman mourned the death of Qābūs Bin Sa‘īd Āl-Būsa‘īdī, a revered monarch and figure of modern Oman. During his fifty-year reign (1970-2020), an absolute record in the Arab world, he dedicated himself to rapidly developing the country, driven by the myth of the "Nahda" or "Renaissance". The country's growth led to rapid development and modernization, along with an increase in urban centers and resident population.

Driven by aspirations for better opportunities, a significant migration wave saw Omanis from the impoverished southern and interior regions flocking to urban hubs, particularly Muscat and coastal cities, in response to the Sultanate's development agenda. Following the Sultanate's call to build the country, these vast movements of local populations were accompanied by the arrival of thousands of Asian workers in cities, mainly from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. This growth contributes to dividing society into two categories of people, those who employ and those who are employed, highlighting strong inequalities and tense coexistence. Images of landscapes, combined with portraits aim to underline the prevailing hierarchies embodied in this phenomenon of growth and globalized labor migration.

Through a visual narrative of portraits often presented as diptychs, the complexities of Oman's growth and globalized labor migration are underscored. Ashes of the Arabian’s Pearl is an in-depth examination of Oman's urbanization challenges, including policy reforms, infrastructural development, and the fostering of communal identities amidst urban expansion and decentralization efforts.

@valentin.valette