Janol Apin

Janol Apin is a French photographer. He obtained his photographic laboratory technician diploma in 1988 at the Audiovisual Institute. This led him to embark on a career as a photojournalist at Agence France Presse (AFP), where he realized a report on the fall of the Berlin wall. Janol Apin gradually distanced himself from photojournalism and obtained his classical portraitist diploma in 1992.

He tried a lighter photography, filled with humor and therefore his reports slowly transformed into docudrama. When he decided to focus on Parisian news, he was filled with ideas and banked on laughter. He chose an ordinary playing ground, far from the marrades, namely the Parisian metro. Between the constant hubbub, the crowds and endless corridors, he was able to make up a story around each of the 120 stations of the railway network. He is inspired by their name, therefore played around and staged them just like a charade, through puns and other word games and leaves room for free interpretation. Therefore we come across Cleopatra at "Pyramides", Caesar in "Rome", Obelix in "Alésia", or even Marianne at "République" and Charles de Gaulle at « Charles de Gaulle étoile ». "Place des fêtes has” become a new place to dance and « Ménilmontant » is steeper than ever. Of course, Janol Apin is great at capturing the present moment, but a funny and a well constructed one.

Through a more poetic spirit but a refined one, Janol Apin has begun a series on the forgotten chapels of Brittany. During the evening and in the middle of winter, he captures the religious heritage of the West of France with a long pause (30 seconds), letting the night express through stars and light.

Janol Apin has exhibited several times in Paris during collective and personal exhibitions in galleries. He is still very present in the press. His work « Metropolisson » on the metro stations achieved great success and the artist likes to hint that the captured photo at "Maison Blanche" was displayed in Washington.