Yves De Contades

Yves de Contades was born in New York in 1964 and educated all over Europe.Yves revels in the metaphorical, picking up on and juxtaposing ever shifting cultural meanings. His 'beautiful' fashion portraits are loaded with subtle references, from the hopeless romanticism of the Pre-Raphaelites in 'Out to Sea' to the quiet strength of the bejewelled Oriental girl, mixing the decadence of western finery with the 'Pop-Art' disposability of everyday chopsticks - the 'knives and forks' of a billion people. Fashion is the preferred vehicle for him because its universal. This allows him to explore interplay between cultural signifiers and thus enabling the viewer to make their own interpretation of his images.Yves de Contades work is constantly striving for that unobtainable moment of perfection. It is a constant attempt to pull that perfect instant from chaos. His inspiration usually comes not from imagery but from the written word, fact, fiction, myth or fable. His attempt to capture an inspiring or illuminating moment of understanding or beauty.

Holy Trinity Chelsea, Lycee Francais de Bruxelles, City of London University.

Daylight Studios Paris, The Louvre Paris, Seine Gallery Paris, The Worx London, Lost Boys International London.