Léa Habourdin (FR, b. 1985) first studied printmaking at l’École Estienne in Paris, then photography in Arles. Attentive to the diversity of life forms, her practice observes the relationship we maintain with other animals and landscapes, playing with notions of survival, fracture and reconstruction to compose another view of what we call ‘the wild’. Exploring fields such as ethology, applied science research or botany, Habourdin works with drawings and photographs: the place of the book and printed matter is crucial throughout her works.
The Expanding Worlds series documents various primary forests in mainland France and the weight of human presence in these territories. Using plants to print her photographs, Habourdin creates pigments in pastel shades, exposing ephemeral anthotypes. From the bright yellow of birch leaves to the pale pink of poppy petals – alongside gaude, madder and persicaria – the representation of the forest is perennial but evanescent. It reveals without giving completely, leaving room for the many personal fantasies that the forest conjures.
Artist is presented by PUNCTUM