Fragments du Monde – My First Exhibition at ZLab Gallery (July 2025)
July 2025 will stay with me for a very long time. “Fragments du Monde,” my first-ever photography exhibition, ran for the full month at ZLab Gallery — and even now, looking back, I’m still processing everything it meant.
I had dreamed for years of sharing my work publicly, but when the opportunity finally arrived, fear came with it. I was genuinely worried that no one would show up, that the images I had collected from my travels would hang there quietly, unvisited. On top of that, life was unfolding at full speed: we were expecting a child (due that month), and there was a real chance that I might not even attend my own vernissage. In many ways, I began July more stressed than excited.
But reality had other plans.
A Month I Will Never Forget
The vernissage attracted more than 40 people, and throughout the month, another 50 visitors walked through the gallery. People I knew, people I didn’t, friends of friends, curious passersby, fellow photographers, and complete strangers who connected with the images. I was touched by their reactions, the conversations, the questions, and the stories they shared in return.
The aim of this exhibition was never to sell; the point was simply to show. To put fragments of my world on the wall and let people stand in front of them. But still, it meant a lot when some visitors decided to buy prints. It felt surreal, almost like a validation I didn’t expect: not financial, but emotional. A moment where you realise your work has meaning for someone else.
The Journey Behind the Exhibition
The exhibition would never have happened without my sisters. The decision itself took shape months earlier, during a family gathering in London. We were talking, as we often do, about projects, ideas, and dreams, and they pushed me gently but firmly toward this one. They told me to stop waiting, to stop perfecting, to just do it. They were right.
And most of all, I owe a great deal to my partner, Aline. She supported everything: the selection of photos, the prints, the frames, the logistics, and the countless decisions; all while carrying our future child and managing her own physical and emotional load. Her help, her presence, and her calm encouragement made the exhibition possible. I am incredibly grateful.
