Marie-Laure de Decker

Marie-Laure de Decker has travelled through the history of the second half of the twentieth century with her camera, capturing the major upheavals of her era as she met people and made commitments. She made her mark in a largely male-dominated environment, where working as a photographer was – and still is – a real life choice, driven by passion, adrenaline, risks and renunciations. At a time when few women dared to enter this field, she did so with fierce determination and extraordinary courage.

From the 1970s onwards, she stood out for her unique approach to photojournalism. Her reports, covering major conflicts such as the Vietnam War, apartheid in South Africa and the Chilean dictatorship, are characterised by a profound humanity. Rather than seeking the shock image, she prefers to capture the dignity of individuals, exploring the off-field of war. Her photographs do not show violence head-on, but show it in a different way – through the faces and stories of those who live through it, as illustrated by her poignant series on Chadian combatants and her portraits of Yemeni women activists.