Bio

Raphaël Neal’s photographic work has been exhibited and published in France and internationally since 2005. Through portraits and self-portraits, the work explores themes such as solitude and seduction, boredom and imposture, and questions our relationship with beauty and nostalgia. The Bates Productions (2001-2011) series consists in stills and posters of imaginary movies. His series de qui aurais-je crainte ? (2011) was entirely shot outdoors in locations containing no trace of civilization, and pays tribute to the virtues of faith and independence. Shot in different countries, the large self-portraits of IKWIG! (2014) depict characters who seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong moment. His still life series Rescapee showcased fake theatre and movie memorabilia. In 2015, Raphaël Neal directed his first long feature, Fever. Written with Alice Zeniter and released in France and the US, it tells the story of two Parisian teenager murderers. Recent photo series include Langue d’Oïl (2019), inspired by the Pied Piper legend, Gone Fishing (2017) shot in a remote village on Stromboli (Sicily), and Dark Circus (2020), self-portraits created in London during the pandemic lockdown. Exhibited at ImageSingulières festival (FR) in 2022, the New Waves series consists of portraits of teenagers paired with landscapes. The most recent self-portraits series, Hollywood Nightmares (2023), pays tribute to the golden age of cinema, with a horrific twist.