Zissou (b. London, 1975)
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Over the course of the last decade, Zissou has gained acclaim for his candid environmental portraiture, nature and documentary photography and has developed a distinctive visual vocabulary using his camera to capture the natural world and an intimate framing of humanity. In his work, the interplay of chance, available light and contingent moments is balanced by a highly considered approach to composition lending a poetic resonance to the images he creates.

Zissou’s choice of subject matter reflects his long-standing interests and mode of living. Having previously lived only in cities - London, Melbourne, Madrid and San Francisco - since 2010, Zissou has been based in Bali, Indonesia where he has become an advocate for regenerative living, residing in a tropical forest in an open-air bamboo home that he designed, helped build and maintains to this day. This self-sufficient way enables Zissou to pursue a harmony with nature and a connection to his community which continues to inform his practice.

Prior to his current body of work in photography, Zissou’s creative explorations included painting, sculpture and the use of a plethora of digital creative tools across a number of commercial creative fields from graphic and web design to creative direction, 3D animation and product visualization. However, his earliest exposure to the world of photography came at a formative age through his father, a renowned photojournalist, and his uncle, a famed sports photographer.

“I grew up surrounded by cameras, darkrooms and incredible black & white photography but it's like the nice restaurant in your neighbourhood, you never think to go until you move out of that area.” he explains

“Moving to the tropics forced my hand. I was surrounded by natural beauty, glorious light, a genuine community and a strong culture. I was bearing witness to so many poignant moments that I felt compelled to document them with the tool that felt the most comfortable, the most immediate, the most resonant... the camera.”

Recent exhibitions include his first solo show at Sound Vision Library, Bali  (Dec. 2022 - Feb. 2023) and his first group show, Pesona at Titik Dua, Bali (Aug. 2023). Along with his commercial photography his work has been featured in Acne Paper, Vogue Japan, Teen Vogue (US), The Daily Telegraph, Ignant, Agobay, Acclaim, Fisheye Magazine, Emocean and National Geographic.