Bio
Her name is Viviane RAKOTOARIVONY, a social photographer born and living in Madagascar. She is self-taught with a sincere passion for beautiful lights and colors. She likes to keep her photos natural. She is attracted to people, to life. Photography is her way to express herself, as sometimes words are not enough to describe what she sees and feel. Before being engaged with photography, she used to paint. Her father bought her first camera in 2003 at the age of 17. It was an artistic love at the first sight. She didn’t paint and draw anymore. She loved photography so much and she started to expose her photos in 2011. By the way, she was the first photographer who exhibited at Is’art Gallery, in Antananarivo. Entitled « Tano-Ora (holding the time), the photo work evokes strength and sexuality at young age. The photo project has evolved and was exhibited in Nairobi, Kenya in 2013.
Sensitive spirit with camera in hand, she takes her work very seriously as she thinks she has the duty to bring to light stories that might otherwise remain unknown. For instance, she worked as a photographer in a European Union project that aimed to improve the education of students in public elementary school in Madagascar. Another example is her personal photo project named « Mother » that she started in 2012, about giving birth and the feelings that follow afterwards: ecstatic joy, anxiety and depression… In 2020, deeply affected by the total lockdown consequences, she started taking pictures of the most vulnerable people in the capital of Madagascar, those who live from hand to mouth. The photo project was awarded by the grant funding H.Y. (Madagascar).
She is currently in artistic residency at the French Institute of Madagascar.