Seoul photographer.

Interview conducted by Emmanuelle BABE for ARKUCHI magazine:

Three monks overlooking a Cambodian plain, a street scene at night in South Korea, a woman working in a field in Vietnam. But also, a sunbeam captured in the Arcets Valley or a shower of stars in the Parmelan sky. Antoine Mutin holds nothing back when it comes to "archiving the world as it is." While Asia is his preferred playground, the 27-year-old photographer from Lyon takes equal pleasure in exploring the French mountain ranges, alone or with friends, to produce images often of exquisite composition. This tall, metal-looking guy, rather reserved, finds in photography a means to follow his inspirations and satisfy his curiosity as a globetrotter: It all started with a trip to Norway. Antoine Mutin was sixteen and took numerous shots with his phone. The image already sparked genuine interest: "I've always loved photography and video; I've always been interested in those who practice it. Like my close ones and a supervisor at my high school."

That same year, he received his first digital camera as a gift and embarked on a solo learning journey. He watched tutorials, honed his skills through specialized literature, and "experimented a lot to develop his eye." His newfound passion intertwined with another—travel—that quickly asserted itself. After visiting New York and Poland as a student, Antoine Mutin was captivated by Asia: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, as well as Vietnam and South Korea. Antoine Mutin prefers to describe his work and approach as "cultural photographs," sharing an otherness that attracts and inspires him: "I love differences, things that are very distant from me. Asia is perfect for that. To get off the beaten path, I immerse myself in the local population, I visit cafes, grandmothers' restaurants." Closer to documentary photography than photojournalism, Antoine Mutin, who also dabbles in video, gives great importance to emotion in his practice. "When I work on landscape images, I try to faithfully display on the screen what I saw with my own eyes, including the feelings. Music can help me dive back into the ambiance of the moment to convey a certain beauty," he explains. Antoine also enjoys recreating atmospheres he encounters in films, magazines, and exhibitions. "I have a good visual memory, and when something appeals to me, it becomes a source of inspiration." The backpack is never far away: If the health context allows, he will be in Taiwan for a year. "It's a country with a dual Chinese and Japanese culture. It promises some contrasts that I can't wait to discover!"