Biography

With a background in journalism and web design, Laurence Chellali is what one might call a hybrid photographer, mixing artistic practices with documentary photography. She likes to connect, to break down boundaries, to explore new terrain, to be surprised by those she meets – and, sometimes, by herself. At the heart of this protean work, through the stories she discovers or those that are more intimate to her, she wishes to understand, to testimony, and even more, to share the narratives and experiences that unite the human community.

Her work has been exhibited internationally, notably at the Nanjing Fine Arts Museum and at festivals in China, France and Italy. Represented by the OFOTO Art Gallery and Nomad No Mad Space in Shanghai, she is also a member of the DALAM IMAGES agency and the STUDIO HANS LUCAS (mainly documentary photography) and a contributor to the ARCANGEL IMAGES agency (artistic illustration photography).

After living in Italy for 10 years, she’s been based in Nanjing, China since 2015. She teaches photography courses and workshops for adults. She also continues to run a photo blog in French where she talks about creative photography.

Solo and complete series exhibitions


2024 – The ingenue and the vegetable – Garden Book – Shanghai- China
2023 – La recette du bonheur – Nomad No Mad Studio – Shanghai – China
2023 – Collapsed – Festival Barrobjectif – France
2019 – « Collapsed » and « The ingenue and the vegetable » – Studio Hans Lucas projection during Visa pour l’Image – Perpignan – France
2018 – Parallaxes – In the Art Harvest Festival – Jiulong – Fujian Province – China
2018 – Ensemble – Salon de la photographie de Strasbourg – Strasbourg – France

2017 – Poursuit of happiness – Solo exhibition – Art Museum of Nanjing University of the Arts – Nanjing – China
2017 – Ensemble – Solo exhibition – Ofoto gallery – Shanghai – China
2016 – Ensemble – Photography Biennale of Tianshui – China
2015 – VIXI – Lishui international photography festival – China
2015 – L’idéaliste contrarié – CONFINI – Exposition itinérante dans des galeries d’art : Venice,  Florence, Cosenza, Trieste, Genova, Milan – Italy
2014 – VIXI – Solo Exhibition – Alliance française Galliera de Gênes – Italy
2014 – L’idéaliste contrarié – CONFINI – Rome – Italy
2013 – VIXI – Rencontres photographiques du Genevois – Saint Julien en Genevois (Geneva) – France
2012 – Entre ciel et terre – Pechakucha night – Genova – Italy
2011 – TOP ! – Solo exhibition – Sciorba – Genova – Italy
2010 – Âme vagabonde – Solo Exhibition – Alliance française Galliera de Gênes – Italy

Collectives and juried exhibitions


2023 – Songshan project – Limiangou Art Tribe – Curator Luo Yonjin – China
2023 – A palm print – Ofoto Gallery – Shanghai – China
2020 – Path to an enchanting seclusion – Shanghai Xinqiao art museum – Curator Jin Yangping – China
2020 – Soul Reset – Ofoto Gallery – Shanghaï – China
2019 – Projection for Hans Lucas during the festival Visa pour l’Image – France
2019 – Songshan Project – Curator Alain Jullien – Henan – China
2018 – Light – A Smith Gallery – USA – Juror’s honorable mention – Juror : Geoffrey Koslov
2018 – Fictional narrative – Photoplace Gallery – USA – Online exhibition. Juror : Emma Powell.
2017 – Trieste photo days – Urban photo awards – 1st place for « Urban Art » – Italy – Juror : Maurizio Galimberti
2017 – Composed – Photoplace gallery and Texas Photographic Society – USA – Juror : Sam Abell
2016 – Trees – A Smith Gallery – USA – Juror : Mickael Kenna
2016 – Photofairs Shanghai with OFOTO gallery  – China
2016 – Animalia –  Photoplace Gallery – USA – Juror : Traer Scott
2016 – Red – A smith Gallery – USA – Juror : Aline Smithson
2016 – Gathering – A smith Gallery – Director’s Award – USA – Juror : Jennifer Shaw
2015 – URBAN 2015 – doArt – Nicosia – Cyprus
2015 – URBAN 2015 – doArt – Koper – Slovenia
2015 – Artist book « Lost Love » – Galerie Fontaine obscure – Aix en Provence – France
2015 – Urban Landscape – 1650 Gallery – Los Angeles – USA
2014 – In praise of trees – Photoplace Gallery – USA – Juror : Kirsten Hoving
2013 -At the edge of the night – Photoplace Gallery – USA – Juror : Sean Kernan
2013 – Open water – The Kiernan Gallery (On line exhibition) – USA – Juror : Jennifer Schwartz
2013 – Mysterious visions – Photoplace Gallery – USA – Juror : Emma Powell
2013 – Inconscio femminile – Feltrinelli Genova – Italy
2013 – Birds, real or imagined – Photoplace Gallery – USA – Juror : S. Gayle Stevens
2013 – Color Story – Darkroom Gallery – USA – Juror : Seth Resnick
2012 – Flower Power – 1650 Gallery – USA
2012 – Noi & Busalla – Comune di Busalla – Italy
2012 – Regards sur la France – Alliance française Galliera de Gênes – Italy
2012 – Pane olio 2012 – Sestri Levante – Italy
2012 – Perché Genova ? – Feltrinelli Genova – Italy
2011 – Pane ed olio in frantoio – Sestri Levante – Italy
2011 – Una donna, una ftografia, un libro – Feltrinelli – Italy
2010 – Pane ed olio in frantoio –  Sestri Levante – Italy
2010 – Gesti di donna – Feltrinelli – Genova – Italy

Art publications


2022 – 9 lives magazine – french fine art photography magazine
2021 – Revue Le Vif – Issue n°34 – Belgium magazine
2019 – Revue Femmes PHOTOgraphes – Issue nº6 – French magazine
2018 – Life Magazine China
2018 – URBAN unveils the city and its secrets – Vol 03/2017 – DoArt – Italian book
2018 – Openeye magazine – French fine art photography magazine
2017 – Openeye magazine – French fine art photography magazine
2017 – Jiangsu now – Chinese newspaper
2017 – F-stop Mgazine – Online fine art magazine
2017 – Don’t Take Pictures Magazine – Fine art photography Magazine
2016 – URBAN unveils the city and its secrets – Vol 01/2016 – DoArt – Italian book
2016 – Qcode magazine– Italian magazine
2016 – The eye of photography – International magazine of photography
2014 and 2015 – Agora di cult – FIAF’s website (Italian federation of photographic associations)
Vita pensata – Italian magazine of philosophy
Regard Perdu – Photographers collective

Invitations – Lectures


2023 – International photography festival of Yushu – China
2018 – Artist Residency in Fujian Province – China
2017 – Sanmenxia International wildlife photography festival – China
2015 – Presentation of VIXI – CarpeDiem/FIAF – Sestri Levante – Italy
2013 – Conference “Photography and reality” Rencontres photographiques du genevois (Geneva)

Galleries representation – agencies – collective


Ofoto Gallery – Shanghai – China
Nomad No Mad Space – Shanghai – China
Studio Hans Lucas (Documentary agency)
Arcangel images (Photo stock agency)

Dalam Images (collective)