Black lights

Black Lights is a portrait-based mural created in Nantes in 2024, in the Passage Douard, near the offices of Collectif 100 Pression. Located in a neighbourhood where several walls are dedicated to free expression, the work explores the representation — or absence of representation — of people who remain largely invisible in public imagery.

The portrait depicts a young Black man, confronting the viewer with a direct and powerful gaze. Through this figure, the mural questions who gets to be seen, represented and given a voice in public space, particularly those whose stories are too often ignored or reduced to negative stereotypes.

With Black Lights, I wanted to bring a face and a presence into a place of everyday passage, creating an image that invites viewers to look beyond the narratives usually associated with people who are underrepresented or talked about mainly through negative news.

The work is part of my broader exploration of portraiture, identity and social representation through mural painting.