The works in this series move beyond the realm of reportage to offer a reflection on our capacity to coexist with a phenomenon as untamable as fire. The artist questions our relationship to nature and its force, seeking to capture enduring images capable of transcending time and revealing a reality larger than that of immediate facts. For him, only sustained observation in the field can bring forth these scenes where nature and humanity brush against each other in their mutual fatigue.
Among the works presented is a photograph that won the prestigious World Press Photo competition. In 2024, Charles-Frédérick became the first Quebec artist in 25 years to receive this international award, with an emblematic image of an auxiliary firefighter gazing toward the horizon. Honored in the Singles category for North and Central America, the photograph stood out among more than 61,000 entries submitted by 3,800 photographers from 130 countries. That same year, he was also named 2024 Artist of the Year for the Capitale-Nationale region, consolidating recognition of his practice on both national and international scales.
Born in Chicoutimi in 1981, Charles-Frédérick Ouellet holds a Master’s degree in Visual Arts from Université Laval. His practice, which spans photography, video, installation, and publishing, is rooted in long-term projects grounded in field research. He explores contemporary narratives of displacement, shifting territories, and the tensions between humans and their environment. Among his major projects are Le Naufrage (2010–2017), Coexistence (2019–2023), Landfall (2021), and Ligne de foudre (2023). Author of several photobooks, including To Winter There published by Éditions Loco in France, he has received support from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the Canada Council for the Arts. His work has been presented in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Canada and abroad.
