Des oiseaux | Leila Jeffreys

Leila Jeffreys takes us with this book into a journey through tropical forests and jungles all over the world towards astonishing bird species that she has been taking studio portraits of since 2008: “I’ve long noticed how many birds have specific expressions, just like us”, she explains. Jeffreys’ images, which rely on a profound connection with her sitters cultivated over many years, are an exercise in both artistry and empathy.

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Cultivating the art of waiting, Jeffreys develops a gallery of whimsical and hyper-realist portraits where all the birds come attired in their most beautiful finery. One by one, they let their character shine through: graceful, mischievous, shy, proud, timid, poseur, all of which seem to want to chat to the viewer. Her practice underlines how humans anthropomorphize animals and what we really do share.

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This publication is part of the Des oiseaux (On birds) collection celebrating, through the vision of different artists, their immense presence in a world where they are now vulnerable. Accompanying these photographs, the ornithologist Guilhem Lesaffre writes a special essay for each title.

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Book release
June 2020

Collection Des oiseaux
Two versions: English and French

Photographs
Leila Jeffreys

Text
Guilhem Lesaffre

Technical info
Hardcover, 20,5 x 26 cm
96 pages, 47 colour photographs

ISBN FR: 978-2-36511-232-1
ISBN ENG: 978-2-36511-258-1