The work of French photographer Grégory Herpe is sometimes startling, always revealing, as shown in his latest series, a timely exhibition entitled Coronew World.

“My latest work revolves around the theme of the mask as protection against the coronavirus — but also as protection against our own personal fears. The mask can hide us from others and means different things to different people,” explains Grégory . 

“The concept? Masked portraits, protecting ourselves from the virus while recycling things found at home. The idea is to protect ourselves by protecting the planet, recycling the life we had before.

“Each photo is in black and white, in a square format. Every day I took pictures with men, women, kids, transgender people, everyone. Because of course, beyond the coronavirus, I always approach my subjects through different masks and their symbols.”

Frouke, age 58 (left) | Hiding Our Addictions | "A mask can also be used to hide behind. They can shield our true personalities, our fears and our addictions."

Juerjen, age 41 (right) | Full of Love | "Juerjen is part of an at-risk group. People with Down's Syndrome are currently unable to hug their loved ones, protected by Plexiglas or a window. This is hard to understand because they are only love."

(From top-right, clockwise) Tonnie, age 92 | My Angel | "Tonnie is posing with his long dead wife's mirror. In this mirror is the reflection of a photo of his wife. It's his mask, his protection, against illness and sadness, against everything. His angel."

Kris, age 54 | Curtain of Water | "Kris is a nurse and has to shower once a day. This water curtain is her mask, her purifying protection. Water is everywhere, in our bodies and on the planet. It waters us, it cleanses us, it is life and we must protect it too."

Maria, age 36 | Veins of Life | "This large rhubarb leaf is an important symbol. We can see lots of veins in it, like in our own bodies. Nature is life! Plants, trees and biodiversity protect us so we must also protect it."

Leon, age 48 (right) | Flesh and Blood | "More and more, we see terrifying images of slaughterhouses, of how the animals we eat are being killed, sometimes with unbelievable cruelty. This model symbolises what these animals become in our supermarkets, wrapped in cellophane. We, as well, are made of flesh and blood. Here, the gas mask symbolises our ability to cover our face, to avoid looking at what is bothering us."

Lila, age 10, and Maud, age 11 (right) | The Monster Inside Us | "How can we protect ourselves from the monsters inside us? Sometimes it means letting them appear in order to fight them in the open, as in the days when we were children and not afraid to play the villain."

About Grégory Herpe: French photographer Grégory Herpe places humanity and our modern society at the heart of his work. He has travelled extensively and his striking imagery has been exhibited worldwide. From Europe to Asia to Africa, the artist takes a closer look at individuals, communities and cultures around the world and examines our relationship with customs, superstition, religion and traditions.

See more of Grégory’s work on his website and follow him on Instagram at @gregoryherpephotographe.