MARIE HYVERNAUD, FRANCE
Over time, photography has become a passion that has never left me. Self-taught, I learned photography with my brother and at a youth cultural center (MJC), later pursuing it more seriously through various workshops, including a memorable one with Jean Dieuzaide. I practiced extensively in my free time, initially with film and later with digital photography. This has fostered a deep interest in black-and-white work, encompassing portraits, street scenes, or atmospheric compositions. I have had the opportunity to participate in festivals, meet wonderful people, and exhibit my work both individually and alongside other photographers. I regularly share my ongoing projects with the Graph research group.
My documentary photography often focuses on communities and the bonds formed among their members. I have photographed the deaf community and their communication through sign language, rural life and its challenging traditions, and a group of mountain villages, where I created a series of portraits of the inhabitants, revealing the essence of each person and unveiling their inner stories. Capturing bodies in motion is also part of my practice. I have documented the beauty, movement, and grace of hands in sign language, as well as the ease and agility of dancers, which is reflected in my recent, more artistic work, Resonance. I am drawn to ordinary people—those who are often overlooked or forgotten. This is why rural life and individuals with disabilities have profoundly impacted me. Above all, I seek light, authenticity, and a deep, emotional connection with the people I photograph. Capturing the moment fascinates me, going beyond what the human eye perceives; capturing the invisible is my challenge.The International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP) has awarded me the title of Excellence FIAP (EFIAP).
Recent Exhibitions:
2025: Selected for the Uzès Biennial with Au pays du gras and Tango for the Printempsdes Notes in Alairac.
2024: En attendant la neige at the Quinzaine de l’Image in Montbourguet and Maison de ma Région in Carcassonne.
2023: Portraits du terroir at La Forestière, Espace Photographique de Caunes Minervois.
2022: Arbres dans la brume at the Printemps de l’Arbre in Revel.
2021: Resonance at Galerie Le Temps de Pose in Sorèze.
Festivals:
Multiple participations in Visa Off in Perpignan, with a first prize in 2014 for Les Mains ont la parole.
Three participations in the Phot’Aubrac festival.
Two participations in the Arles amateur photography festival with Portraits du terroir and Confidences.
First prize at the Traditions competition at the Toulouse Museum in 2020.
Instagram: @mariehyvernaud Website: www.flickr.com/photos/marhyv31/albums/
RESONANCE
During the first lockdown in 2020, I closely observed nature in my garden, particularly the spring buds, symbols of rebirth, in contrast to the confinement we were experiencing. It was then that I conceived the idea of incorporating the hands of deaf artists I had the privilege of photographing during sign language performances.
My initial attempts were promising, and I subsequently devoted considerable time to seeking natural elements that could be associated with the gestures of sign language, the shapes of hands, their movements, and the evolution of the body in space, while managing light densities on both sides.
This series of diptychs is primarily aesthetic and poetic. It is a tribute to the world of deaf individuals, whose communication is astonishing, and to the beauty and strength of sign language, which has always captivated me. I sought to highlight this admirable difference to help shift our perspectives. Marie Hyvernaud
Marie Hyvernaud accompanies us in our creative processes, skillfully capturing the moment when expression and its image are most aligned. With her perfectly timed shots, she reveals the full expressiveness of a language that resonates deeply with our sensations and emotions.
Lucie Lataste, choreographer of the Dance of Signs Company
This exhibition will remain open from July 24 to October 11, 2025.