ABOUT

Franco-Mauritian photographer, Shirley Thomas works at the intersection of analogue photography, musical performance and video. Inspired by the works of Ansel Adams, Aaron Siskind, Minor White and Musuk Nolte, her work is contemporary, experimental, abstract and conceptual, exploring the aesthetics of inner, psychological landscapes, situated between matter, time and perception. Born in Paris in 1997, Shirley Thomas studied communication sciences and neuroscience, developing a keen interest in human psychology. Following a three-year stay in Canada, she trained in analogue photography in Paris, notably at the Centre Jean Verdier and in the darkroom, where she honed a pure and experimental approach to the medium.

Rooted in experiences of psychological violence, self-destruction and depression, Shirley Thomas has developed a photographic practice that explores the repercussions of trauma on perception, behaviour and emotional states. Through the act of photography, conceived as a space for transformation, she turns the camera and the film into a meeting place between the external and internal worlds, where a form of healing takes place. Her work, guided by instinct and a self-acknowledged hypersensitivity, is based on a keen focus on the body and physical sensations. In this approach, no alterations are made: the images are the direct result of the light’s imprint on the film. Drawing on Taoist, Confucian and South American philosophies, Shirley Thomas situates her practice within a broader reflection on the interconnection between humanity and nature, where observation and contemplation become tools for knowledge and self-transformation.

EXHIBITION

2026 — “Cycles”, collective exhibition Love and Other Devotions, The Hoxton Lloyd, Amsterdam, curated by CLBHUIS & Pink Poodle Society

2026 - “Mort Vivant” series, duo exhibition with Bella Stern - La Villa4 with Le Cercle des artistes, curated by Uncover, Galerie Paul13, 75017 Paris

2025 - Artworks from the series '“Voyage Inconscient” - Dama Art Gallery, Porto, Portugal

2025 - “Voyage inconscient” series, duo exhibition with Gregory Gaydu - ArtShopping, Carrousel du Louvre, 75001 Paris

2025 - “Voyage inconscient” series, group exhibition with Marine Toux, Maria Antonino & Marion Rayet, Creative Fair Paris, Galerie 24Beaubourg, 75003 Paris

PUBLICATIONS

2026 - Ding magazine - Amsterdam
2026 - Trames Magazine - Paris
2025 - Fisheye web - France