Laurence Philomene is a non-binary photographer based in Montreal, Canada. Laurence’s work deals with questions of identity and selfhood. Through a lens coloured by queer + trans experience, they blend documentary and fine art approaches with high saturation. They are a recipient of the 2019 Lucie Foundation emerging artist scholarship, and the 2020 Women Photograph mentorship program.
Laurence's work is informed by their lived experiences as a chronically ill transgender artist coming of age amid the rise of social media. Through long-form collaborative and autobiographical projects, they aim to celebrate trans existence, and to study identity as a space in constant flux. In doing so, their work humanizes aspects of identity that have been historically marginalized, and acts as a love letter to their community. Visually, their work investigates how western understandings of masculinity and femininity inform our perception of gender, and how the two can co-exist outside of the binary.
Laurence's work has been published internationally in magazines such as Vice, Courrier International,The Independent, Dazed, I-D, Broadly, Teen Vogue, CBC arts, Wonderland, and Hunger Magazine. Their work has been presented in over 40 exhibitions worldwide, including solo exhibits in Toronto, Montreal, Berlin and Kracow. Laurence was named as part of Adweek’s creative 100 list in 2018, presented their work at the 2019 Cannes Lyons festival, and served as a judge for the 2019 Getty Images Creative Bursary.
editorial inquiries/press/bookings/print/exhibitions: laurencephilomenephoto@gmail.com
commercial inquiries: caitlin@adolescentcontent.com
prints : official print store - more archival/editioned prints available via email
Selected clients
Netflix, Beats by Dre, Vice, Broadly, Refinery29, VSCO, Converse, Teen Vogue, Away, Airbnb Experiences, Showtime, Courrier International, Yahoo Style, Medium, Fluide Beauty, Jump from Paper
Awards, accolades & residencies
Women photograph - Mentorship class, 2019-2020
Lucie Foundation Emerging Artist Scholarship - Recipient, 2019
Getty Images Creative Bursary - Judge, 2019
In House Outer Space (Iceland) - Residency, 2019
Artsida9 - Emerging artist award, 2019
Adweek - Creative 100 list, 2018
Lucie Foundation Emerging Artist Scholarship - shortlisted, 2017
Flickr 20 under 20 - Curator's choice award, 2014
Selected press
"These 14 Photographers Are Changing the Way We See the World" on Vice
"3 Artists On How Creativity Defines Them" on Refinery29
"Q&A: Laurence Philomène" Conversation with Jess T. Dugan on Strange Fire
"Laurence Philomene on the beauty of everyday trans existence" on Yiara Magazine
"Women Talk : Laurence Philomene" on Women Photograph
"Laurence Philomene and the trans gaze" on Humble Arts Foundation
"Testosterone and the trans gaze" on It's Nice That
"Gender Dysphoria : Laurence Philomene interviewed" on Bomb Magazine
"This photographer spent 7 years photographing their trans bestie" on Broadly
"It is what it is, Laurence Philomene & Starchild Stela" essay by Maddie Alper for Xpace
"Hanging With The Subjects Of Laurence Philomene's Photo Series Non-Binary" on Refinery 29
"Representing non-binary bodies with Laurence Philomene" on I-D
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2019. Laurence Philomene : Huldufólk & Puberty - La Cenne Espace Culturel - Montreal, Canada
2019. Laurence Philomene - Maison du Québec à St-Malo - St-Malo, France
2018. Me vs others - The Letter Bet - Montreal, Canada
2018. No girls / no boys / no nothin - Nosna Gallery - Cracow, Poland
2018. It is what it is (with Starchild Stela) - Xpace Cultural Centre - Toronto, Canada
2017. Non-binary portraits - Cogalleries, presented by Curated by Girls - Berlin, Germany
Selected Group Exhibitions
2020. Fotografiska NY x Vice : New Visions - Fotografiska Museum NY - New York City, USA
2020. Yearning for Comfort, Not Cure - Gallery 1C03, The University of Winnipeg - Winnipeg, Canada
2019. Under the anti lies the body - Slowroom Contemporary /Stefanskirken - Copenhagen, Denmark
2019. Currents curated by Forge Art Mag - Mount Analogue - Seattle, USA
2019. Chromatic festival, 10th edition - Usine C - Montreal, Canada
2019. Boys! Boys! Boys! - The Ravestijn Gallery - Amsterdam, Netherlands
2019. Artsida 9 - Musée d’art contemporain - Montreal, Canada
2018. Possible Selves: queer foto vernaculars - The Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA) - Williamstown, USA
2018. The Vice Magazine 2018 Photo Show - Parasol Projects - New York, USA
2018. Phi Fest - Fabrica Del Vapore - Milan, Italy
2017. Instagram Jam / Month of Photography Los Angeles - Lucie Foundation - Los Angeles, USA
2017. What does our future hold? The coven x Polyester Zine - Dye house - London, UK
2016. Freer in Berlin - Studio Blender & Co, presented by Curated by Girls - Berlin, Germany
2016. We, Other - Pop Montreal (Art Pop) - Montreal, Canada
2016. Diaphanous - Index Art Center - Newark, USA
2016. What A Time To Be Alive - Sunday x Slow Culture - Los Angeles, USA
2015. Same - Stream Gallery - New York, USA
2014. Flickr 20under20 - Milk Studios - New York, USA
2014. The Coven presents : Girlhood - La Centrale Gallerie Powerhouse - Montreal, Canada
Available + Upcoming books
2020. "Boys Boys Boys" - Curated by Ghislain Pascal, teNeues/Mendo, 1st edition of 5,000 - Pre-order here