Photomanipulation nominee

This work explores motherhood through breastfeeding ; an instinctive, intimate gesture that forms a unique bond between mother and child from the very beginning. In those first moments, a powerful connection is created, drawing them into deep, shared intimacy.

Yet this closeness is not only tender. It is demanding and challenging. The mother gives herself completely, often at the cost of her own needs, rest, and certainty.

The bird, a traditional symbol of freedom and lightness, lowers its wings here. It no longer flies, reflecting a body worn down by constant effort and the tension between love and exhaustion.

Despite fatigue and pain, maternal love endures. It glows in the warm colors of the costume and shines through the mother’s gaze, full of emotion and devotion.

The cow, symbol of the nurturing mother, embodies fertility, gentleness, and patience. It reinforces the idea of motherhood devoted to another, generous and seemingly without limits.

Finally, tears fall. They speak of emotional exhaustion and are offered openly to the child she loves. In them lies the full depth, complexity, and richness of the maternal bond.

La Bretonne Photographe is the artistic name of Anaïs Boissel, a photographer and digital artist whose work explores the boundaries between photography and painting through contemporary fine art portraiture. Using post-production as a creative extension of the photographic process, she creates carefully composed images that function as visual tableaux, blending narrative depth with a strong aesthetic identity.

Based in Lorient in Brittany, her artistic path is shaped by a background in film studies, followed by formal training in photography. She developed her fine art portrait practice independently, cultivating a visual language rooted in mise-en-scène, storytelling, and an ongoing exploration of the expressive potential of the image.

Her work is deeply influenced by her Breton heritage, drawing inspiration from Celtic mythology and fantastical realms. Cinema and painting also play a central role in shaping her visual universe, particularly through baroque influences and fantastical aesthetics that inform the atmosphere and symbolism present in her portraits.

She is currently preparing her first exhibition, scheduled for spring 2026, in which she will present five distinct artistic universes, each offering a unique exploration of identity, imagination, and visual narrative.