Benjamin Guénault and Yi-Chen Lee, our readers picks #291 both capture the world with philosophy. One is interested in nature and elements, and the other studies humanity.
Yi-Chen Lee
Born in Taiwan, Yi-Chen Lee first got interested in photography when he was studying journalism. “I was focusing at the time on humanity and sociology, through photoreports”, he says. In 2017, the artist moved to France and started studying the medium. He quickly turned to studio photography. “I am attracted to aesthetics and the transmission of ideas through imagery. I use five words to describe my approach: news, message, distance, curiosity, and polysemic”, he adds. Inspired by fashion, Yi-Chen Lee produces conceptual images, mixing portraits with still-lifes. A gallery of elegant creations, exploring the impact of aesthetics on our environment, social issues, life or even reincarnation.
© Yi-Chen Lee
Benjamin Guénault
“Wide-open spaces have always attracted me. Nature, but also the peculiarities of the elements arounds us. I like the raw dimension of matter, a landscape whose atmosphere is erased, the foam of a wave drawing a mountain”
, says Benjamin Guénault, 31. This Bordeaux-based freelance photographer now shares his time between commissions and personal works. Fascinated by science and science-fiction, he produces abstract images, highlighting minerals and vegetation. “I always gather souvenirs from my trips, found in special places. Their common features? Time, erosion, and transformation. I like nature’s perfection, fractal in plants, the strength of elements”, he tells us. His graphic landscapes are reminiscent of the unknown, and surrealism. Monochrome pictures, as poetic as they are enigmatic.
© Benjamin Guénault
Cover picture: © Yi-Chen Lee