Philipp Hugues Bonan

“At 17, I created my first artistic portrait, immortalizing the immense cloud painter Jean Messagier, star painter of the 70s and family friend. In the years that followed, I took on portraits of painters and sculptors, always meticulously choosing the artists I photographed, according to the love and interest I had for the work of my future "models". Over the years that followed, artist portraiture became my specialty and I became known precisely thanks to these images. On the other hand, apart from my portraits of artists, and often, between two photographic encounters, I liked to photograph in parallel everything I saw all the time and everywhere I went, all of course always in black and white and medium format 6x6 square format.

In the twists and turns of 1998, Gérard Schlosser, the eminent artist of narrative figuration, gave me a Leica Minilux. This generous gesture was his way of saluting the photographs I had taken for him, as part of a collaboration with the prestigious men's fashion house, Smalto. Although my first steps in photography date back to 1986-1987, I had, until then, never dared to venture into the world of color. However, guided by an inexplicable impulse shortly after receiving this jewel of technology, I inserted a roll of color film into the camera. The experience was revolutionary. The color, this new palette, amazed me, captivated me, subjugated me. Thus was born a series of singular photos. My subjects were varied: everyday objects, faces, various compositions, but all were bathed in this new colorful dimension.

This Leica, film – precision which is important – was exquisitely discreet. This is how my interest in urban details began, graffiti with bright colors and expressive gestures. This passion was born somewhat by chance, attracted by the raw art of these street artists leaving their mark on the walls of the city. It was a form of expression that I found fascinating, almost magical, and which attracted me irresistibly. It was therefore between 1999 and 2000 that I launched into this series dedicated to painted walls and graffiti details, a series which continued to grow over time.

This passion led me, in 2007, to a notable exhibition at the Olivier Nouvellet gallery in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. Jacques Villeglé, whose opinion I often sought, wrote a laudatory text for the invitation card, he who was my only street artist friend at the time without forgetting Jérôme Mesnager. Following this significant event, I had the privilege of meeting many graffiti and street artists. From Speedy Graphito to C215, including L'Atlas, JonOne, Psychose, Shuck One, Jef Aérosol, Jana et JS, Epsilon Point, the list is long and prestigious. As the saying goes, you never stop at the beginning of an adventure, especially when it brings so much joy and satisfaction. »