Laurent Chéhère

Capharnaum - digital manipulated photograph of a flying Parisian house

2024

While editorial and commercial photographer Laurent Chéhère is known for reportage as well as his award-winning work on campaigns for fashion labels and car companies, his “Flying Houses” series has earned acclaim all over the world.

The Paris-born Chéhère began to create the extensive “Flying Houses” series in 2007 as a result of his interest in architecture, travel, the work of Bruce Davidson and films such as Albert Lamorisse’s The Red Balloon and Hayao Miyazaki’s Howl's Moving Castle (several pieces are named for movies).

The collection of Surrealist images, in which buildings are removed from their backgrounds and then suspended in the sky as if permanently airborne, began with drawings before Chéhère photographed each of the works’ individual components and created montages in Adobe Photoshop.

Chéhère worked in advertising, winning awards for his work with iconic brands such as Audi and Nike. Always fascinated by photography and travel, a shift in interest led him to leave advertising behind to travel around the world. In addition to the fantastical films and other visual works that have captivated him over the years, the inspiration for his popular series is firmly rooted in walks through neighborhoods in Paris — it’s an endeavor to strip buildings of their surroundings and give each structure the chance to have its own individual narrative.

“I tried to highlight buildings to show their hidden beauty,” he told Musée. “I wanted to eliminate their anonymity in the street to help them tell their stories, real or not, funny or sad.”

Each of the poetic and whimsical “Flying Houses” images is a composite that comprises a dozen actual buildings, homes, tents and trailers that Chéhère photographed in similar lighting conditions and completed with computer software. 

Chéhère’s “Flying Houses” series debuted at the Exposition Biennale des Créateurs d'Images in Paris in 2012, where he won the event’s Special Award. His work has been featured in many galleries, including the Galerie Paris-Beijing in Paris, the Lumiere Gallery in Moscow and the Muriel Guépin Gallery in New York City.

Find original Laurent Chéhère photography, prints and other art on 1stDibs.