Yo-Yo Gonthier

Yo-Yo Gonthier (Niamey, Niger, 1974) is a visual artist living and working in Paris. His work is known for exploring chiaroscuro and the contrast between artificial and ambient light. In his book Les lanternes sourdes (The Deaf Lanterns), Gonthier creates works that encourage contemplation, offering an antidote to the speed of contemporary society. He is also deeply interested in the hidden history of the French colonial empire, which led to his exhibition Outre-mer. Throughout his career, he has participated in the African Biennale of Photography in Bamako, Mali (2005, 2009), and worked on international projects such as Kreyol Factory at the Parc de La Villette in Paris. With a strong connection to the educational field, Gonthier has worked at the Fine Arts Faculty of the island of Réunion and completed an artist residency in Saint-Denis. He is currently participating in the Intense Proximity Triennale in Paris with the series Petite zone peu sûre, a work that reflects his ongoing dialogue with memory and history through photography and installation.