DAMIEN DUFRESNE
Biography
Damien Dufresne is a French artist-photographer with a singular career path. He began his career as a hairdresser, before turning to the art of make-up at the age of thirty, becoming a studio hairstylist and make-up artist. Ten years later, he devoted himself entirely to make-up and moved to Seoul, where he held the position of artistic director for twelve years. In 2017, he moved to Shanghai, beginning what he describes as one of the most creative chapters of his career. After six years in China, he chose to settle in Siem Reap, Cambodia, in 2023.
Today, he finds in art photography a precious freedom: that of capturing the human essence, free from all artifice. He meets his models by chance on a journey: a monk, a painter, a driver, a street vendor. They all share a presence that captivates him. He doesn’t ask them to pose, but simply to be themselves, in raw spontaneity.
His brushes have given way to his lens, capturing much more than faces: he reveals souls. Through tight framing and subtle lighting effects, he exposes fragility, solitude, ephemerality and love. His images, of a rare intensity, reveal a sincere beauty, free from convention.
