Simon Laveuve

Born in 1988, I am originally from the Parisian suburbs where I still live. I grew up in a concrete tower, signed by the committed architect Renée Gailhoustet, who realized all the social housing of Ivry-sur-Seine. Surrounded by the dormitory towns, the pavilions and the industrial zone, it is above all the spatial arrangements of the city, realized in collaboration with Jean Renaudie, which inevitably marked my mind.

My professional background also has an impact on my inspirations. Photographer-author for more than 10 years, I have worked for the world of fashion, music, reportage or publishing... Specialized in portraits and still life, the human being and his environment have always been at the heart of my work.

Since 2017, I build my own universe in miniature combining volume and staging. Habitat and survival are two central elements of my approach. Self-taught in the world of sculpture and model making, I use a lot of salvaged elements. I like the principle of second life and recycling through art for creation. The detail, reading and meaning are directly related to my previous photographic work.

My pieces, for the most part, have this in common: a shelter. A shelter for man, made by man, whose figure is not necessarily present. I like to work on the height and on the inaccessible. Protection and abandonment. The fallen icons and their symbolisms. The resistance and the insubordination.