Conceptual nominee

“Eel in the land of rising sleep" is my dream diary.

It happens quite often that I dream. My dreams transport me to a wonderful, surreal world. When I wake up, I am in a daze, often melancholic: a complex feeling where emptiness, anguish and elation mingle.

I started with the idea of using my camera as an intimate witness to my awakenings. By this process, I become "Eel", a night walking, shy, dreaming prima ballerina. Later, I select the images that best reflect her state of mind and move on to post-production. This one is based on two techniques: mise en abyme and combination of images.

This series is a tribute to Edward Hopper and Winsor McCay. Painting, particularly Edward Hopper’s one, has an impact on my photographic work. Moreover, I discovered recently the comic strip "Little Nemo in Slumberland". Little Nemo's sleep disorder looks like mine, hence the title of this series.

Vietnamese born, I’m an amateur dedicated photographer.
Working for an international organization, I was lucky enough to travel and discover the beautiful planet we live on. As soon as the missions freed me, I devoted myself to photography.

Living in different cities, photography became for me a mode of expression. It helped me to enjoy the experience of changing environment. Something about new places nudged the visual side of me. Strange shadows, strong lines and unusual angles fuelled my inspiration. I understood that order and chaos can be supernatural. Mysterious artworks awake imagination.

I always thought of myself as a verbal person, expressing myself through words. So, it’s naturally that storytelling photography became my passion. It allows endless creativity. In my point of view, photographs are not just images. They are stories and emotions.