Oran

Sonia Sieff by Clémentine Larroumet

We met Sonia through the journalist and writer Laurence Benaïm. They had just returned from a trip to Oran together, working on a magazine report to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Yves Saint Laurent.

The words of Laurence Benaïm, whose father is from Oran and was a student of Albert Camus, lit the way as together we explored a semi-derelict lost paradise, bathed in light. It was not a simple exercise, as Oran cannot just be photographed by travelers, like anywhere else.

Sonia had to be careful and discreet. She turned in a surprising body of work on a city that seems fixed in time yet nevertheless manages to retain the soul of a Mediterranean city. It’s close to a fantasy of a city, wounded in its flesh and fabric and criss-crossed with the silhouettes that Sonia captures in such beautiful light.

INSTAGRAM @soniasieff YEAR OF BIRTH 1979 PLACE OF BIRTH Paris, France EDUCATION Letters PROFESSION Photographer & Director FAVORITE MEDIUM Photography PASSION Sailing & reading ROLE MODEL My mother FAVORITE ARTIST The ones who re-invent themselves all the time FUN FACT Trying to keep my nice craziness in this mad world

Portraits de Villes is a collection of books, where an artist is given carte blanche to illustrate a city of his / her choice. Each book is a unique journey, guided by the singular gaze of an artist.