Floriane de Lassée

The series How Much Can You Carry? is based on Floriane‘s fascination for the long lines of walkers, carrying diverse and bulky objects all along African roads. Started in 2012 in Ethiopia, and still on-going, this series spread out to 4 continents, covering around 15 regions to this day, within 7 countries (Ethiopia, Rwanda, Nepal, India, Japan, Indonesia, Bolivia, Brazil), and more to come.

Through these simple and authentic photographs, she proposes to stage each person with what counts most to her/him. And in these remote communities, what matters most are often first necessity products or consumption goods : sacks of grains for the farmer who must sell his crop in the nearest city to feed his family, bales of straw to be traded for a cooking pan, empty bottles to be recycled …

Leaving misery on the side, the models show a unique sense of curiosity, fun, and pride, in staging themselves, proud to put forward what can be considered in lots of cases as their only survival means.

And looking at these portraits, the complicity with the photographer, and the pleasure of performing, the pride of seeing oneself, heroic, modern caryatid, sustaining on one’s head a life of consumption like mountains on one’s head, have taken over the pure tribute to a crushing labor, and finally take us onto an odyssey of a rare humanity.

All images are available as 23¾ x 16½" and 47¼ x 33½" pigment prints made in editions of 5 with 1 AP. Pieces range in price from $2200 to $10,500, depending on size and availability.

Please call: (312) 266-2350 for prices of specific pieces.

Prices are print only unless otherwise indicated.