Michel Perrin – Visual Philosopher in Light

I was born in 1972 in France, near the Swiss border — a region of softness, structure, and poetic stillness. From a young age, I was drawn to images hidden within images, to motion within stillness, and to the quiet mystery of time. My love for photography was ignited during my teenage years and fully awakened when I moved to Aotearoa New Zealand over two decades ago. The wild beauty of the land became a teacher, reshaping how I see, feel, and create. Today, my work moves between fine art, architecture, and portraiture — but always returns to the same essence: Stillness. Resonance.

Truth. In portraiture, I use light as a mirror to invite honesty. My portraits are not about performance—they are about presence. In architecture, I photograph not just the form, but the atmosphere. How a building breathes. How it holds silence. In my fine art images, I work intuitively, often drawing from the chiaroscuro tradition, sculpting emotion through the dance of light and shadow. My work has been exhibited in galleries since 2008, awarded over 100 times both nationally and internationally, and is held in private collections across New Zealand, France, and beyond.

A meaningful moment in my journey was contributing to Cause for Collaboration (2013), an art exhibition commemorating the 65th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. My piece explored the emotional dimension of freedom and helped raise funds for Amnesty International — an example of my belief that art must speak to both the soul and the world. I create from a place of sincerity, presence, and care. My goal is not only to show what is seen, but to reveal what is often felt and forgotten — guiding others gently back to themselves through the power of image.