Pierre de Vallombreuse

Pierre de Vallombreuse 

Hommes Racines

June 4 - 29, 2014

Between 2007 and 2012, artist Pierre de Vallombreuse traveled the globe photographing daily life among indigenous communities. Shot entirely using black-and-white film, de Vallombreuse's series Hommes Racines (French for "the roots people") focuses on eleven distinct cultures, many of which are in danger of or have already been uprooted from their traditional lands. De Vallombreuse spent extended periods of time immersed in each community and began to see them as models for how all of Earth's inhabitants must recommit to responsible stewardship of the planet. The artist writes, "indigenous people are often the first victims of environmental disasters: food shortages, deforestation, global warming, pollution, [and] water wars." For him, these are not just local concerns, but larger issues that all of humanity must address before it is too late.  

Pierre de Vallombreuse initially attended the École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris to pursue a career as a cartoonist, but he soon changed paths after a life-changing visit to Borneo. There he met the Punans, a nomadic society living in the forests, who inspired him to continue traveling and learning about different cultures. During his travels to the Philippines, de Vallombreuse encountered the Palawan people, whom he lived with and photographed for more than two years. The resulting images were presented at the prestigious photo festival Les Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie d'Arles, and de Vallombreuse has since devoted himself to the life of a nomadic photographer. In addition to working on his long-term projects like Hommes Racines, de Vallombreuse regularly collaborates with leading international magazines, including GEO (France, Russia, Germany, Spain, Korea, Japan), Sciences et Avenir, Le Monde 2, Le Figaro Magazine, Newsweek, El Mundo, El País, and La Stampa.