Biography

Laurent Philippe (b. 1986, Hasselt, Belgium) is a self-taught photographer whose work explores the space between presence and disappearance, identity and anonymity, vulnerability and control. With a professional background in therapy, his approach to photography is shaped by a deep sensitivity to the emotional landscapes we often keep hidden—the quiet struggles, the fragmented selves, the tension between what we show and what we protect.

Working in both analogue and digital formats, Philippe creates carefully composed, emotionally resonant images. Across series like Tinfoil Head, Veni Vestigium, Fabricated, and Flora Persona, his subjects are often veiled, fragmented, or transformed—challenging the viewer to search for meaning in gesture, movement, and trace, rather than in identity defined by the face.

His earliest artistic instincts were nurtured by his grandfather, a professional photographer and all-round artist. Under his quiet guidance, Philippe developed a lifelong sensitivity to light, texture, and the expressive potential of the human form—lessons that continue to echo through his work today.

An equally important thread in his creative journey is his wife, a former ballerina and early muse. Before they ever became a couple, she appeared in several of his portraits, helping him explore themes of form, movement, and emotional presence. It was only after capturing her on film many times that he finally found the courage to ask her out—a moment that, like much of his work, speaks to the beautiful risk of vulnerability.

Philippe’s photographs have been exhibited and published internationally, drawing recognition for their emotional clarity, psychological depth, and striking visual restraint. Limited edition prints of his work are held in both private and corporate collections, a testament to the personal resonance and lasting impact of his imagery.

Through his lens, he continues to explore not just who we are, but what remains of us when the familiar is stripped away—and what we might discover in the silence that follows.