SELF by SAINT LAURENT

For the seventh iteration of SAINT LAURENT’s art project SELF, the Parisian fashion house have partnered with six photographers from across the globe to display exhibitions in six separate cities. The works on show honour the importance of self-expression and the unique personality of the SAINT LAURENT brand. Creative Director Anthony Vaccarello personally selected photographers for the project from the pioneering photographic cooperative Magnum Photos.

In New York, the photographs of Alex Webb depict Los Angeles’ Piñata, Flower, and Fashion Districts, integrating his own recognisable vibrant style into the identity of SAINT LAURENT. In Paris, Harry Gruyaert’s shot capture fascination with the liminal aura of airports. The photoset shot at the city’s Charles de Gaulle airport employs prominent use of primary colours to display the ‘strong impression of being between two worlds’ as Gruyaert himself puts it. Olivia Arthur’s show in London, titled So not so offers us an exploration of the physical world and human bodies, as a respite from the virtual worlds that have ‘grown to become a genuine reality’.

As well as the three aforementioned members of the Magnum Photos collective, Vaccarello has also looked to three guest members hailing from the Far East to complete the SELF 07 series. In Seoul, Daesung Lee’s works document the impact of COVID on his relationship with the natural world and offers a reflection on his rural upbringing. In contrast, Takashi Hamma’s collection in Tokyo uses the camera obscura technique to capture the hustle and bustle of the city’s urban centre, and the way in which the pressure of the city relates to the fashion seen on its streets. Completing the set, photographic duo Birdhead are digitally presenting work in Shanghai. They have aligned the images in a grid format, inspired by the photographic matrix and employing inverted negatives for the first time.

The audacious international exhibition is open in all six global locations from June 9^th 2022.

More information on the series can be found on the SAINT LAURENT website.