France, b. 1978; lives and works in Marsais, France
François-Xavier Gbré was born in Lille, France. After studying photography at the École Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques in Montpellier, he worked in fashion and design photography in Milan.
He deals with the symbolism of valorized objects and those left behind. His series "Tracks" (2009–16) spans West Africa and Europe, and renders interior scenes and the surfaces of abandoned buildings constructed during the colonial era or at the moment of independence. Throughout, Gbré sustains an examination of aesthetic and sociopolitical forces on architecture—those "spaces that reflect society." As he mines through ruins of the past and monuments for an unfulfilled future, Gbré reveals how these sites become symbols of uncertainty, which remain entrenched in the layers of each structure and rearticulated across time and space.
Appartement du directeur I, Imprimerie Nationale, Porto Novo
Atelier de typographie I, Imprimerie Nationale, Porto Novo
Baie de Mermoz II, Dakar
Cour surprême I, Palais de Justice, Cap Manuel, Dakar
Palais du Gouveneur II, Lomé, Togo
Palais du gouverneur II, Lomé, Togo
Palais du gouverneur III, Lomé, Togo
Palais du gouverneur IV, Lomé, Togo
Palais du gouverneur VII, Lomé, Togo
Palais du gouverneur VIII, Lomé, Togo
Salle de pas perdus, Palais de Justice, Cap Manuel, Dakar
Salle des avocats, Palais de Justice, Cap Manuel, Dakar
Station Petro Hanne II, Ségou
Untitled (Constellation)