How did you get into photography? Would you define yourself as a photographer?

My relationship with photography was first marked by my father’s amateur work which guided my first impressions as a child. Then, when I started my architecture studies, the camera became a tool for work and expression in addition to drawing. I then had the opportunity to follow courses that allowed me to become aware of the potentials of photography in perceiving and expressing the world in its greatest diversity. It is certainly this trigger that gave me the will to make more constructed images, and in a careful way. So given the way I work, I would more easily present myself as an artist-photographer.

Your work is rooted in history. Why is it important for you to question, to reassess our knowledge of the world?

Perceptions of the world are fed by arbitrary norms that are perpetuated from one era to another, by relationships of domination between genders, colours, classes and nations, or by industrial and technological advances that cause more tragedy than justice. In other words, these systems of representation, which are conducive to mass and local violence, are based on prejudice and, more generally, on ignorance. Yet we live in an extremely fragile world, and it is necessary to imagine a new, more balanced and mutually respectful order of things to ensure the survival of all. Clearly, I believe that we cannot move forward without cleaning up backward-looking ideologies.

Territory and travel are central subjects in your work. How does photography relate to them? Is photography the ideal medium?

Tools and subjects are constantly intertwined in the construction of my work. In fact, my reflections on the meaning of representation and the content of the image are inseparable from the notions of territory and circulation. If photography is indeed a medium, in the sense of a material and instrument for the conception of my works, it also occupies an important place in my research. “Travel” however is not a term I use to describe my research and it is not a central subject for me. But on a practical level, travel actually gives me the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone, to expand my visual field, and this is essential for my creation.

Why did you abandon a traditional approach in favour of more conceptual formats?

The photographic language that I have been trying to develop since the beginning is more aimed at reversing stereotyped representations. So, to avoid going round in circles and to continue to move forward, it was essential that I make a clean break from the traditional image format. Today, I am really more at ease with photo collage, which is closer to drawing, and which therefore leaves me space to manipulate images that I would not have had in a classic photograph produced with a single shot.

Does your status as a woman have, or has it had, an influence on your status as an artist?

You know, I am a small woman of colour, and I don’t know what part of that identity has most influenced my status as an artist. But the content of the derogatory comments and discriminatory attitudes can make it easier to move from a state of aggression to more profound attacks. And in any case, no violence is acceptable to me, so I hope that the work I build can be understood in that sense.

Do you think there is such a thing as a female gaze?

Each person’s viewpoint is unique and evolves according to their experiences and sensitivities. I think there is a misogynist gaze that is as much held by women as it is by men. I wouldn’t dare to put anyone in a box according to their gender because that would only aggravate things instead of creating a more just harmony.