Romain Laprade: The beauty of silence
The French photographer returns to Yvon Lambert Gallery with “Distances”, an exhibition that coincides with the launch of his new book: “Distances Vol. 3”. A visual ode to light, space, and suspended time.
In an age ruled by speed, visual overload and a constant stream of stimuli, Romain Laprade‘s work stands out as a much-needed pause. With a polished, restrained and deeply evocative aesthetic, the French photographer has managed to craft a visual language of his own, which now once again takes centre stage in Paris thanks to Yvon Lambert Gallery. His new exhibition, simply titled “Distances”, is an invitation to slow down, to observe the world without noise, and to rediscover the beauty of the everyday.
“I hope people find serenity in the images. I hope they travel through time.”
A collaboration built on continuity
The show, opened from 25 April to 1 June 2025 at Yvon Lambert’s space at 14 Rue des Filles du Calvaire, marked the fourth collaboration between the gallery and the artist, following the successful “Distances” (2019), “Polaroids” (2021), and “Utopia” (2023). This continuity speaks not only to the strength of their professional relationship but also to the consistency of Laprade’s aesthetic universe, which expands with each project without losing its essence.
This time, “Distances” offered a visual journey through a selection of recent works and iconic images from the artist’s archive. The exhibition unfolded as a quiet voyage, with Laprade’s eye guiding us through modernist architecture, arid landscapes, hushed interiors and atmospheric urban corners. Each photograph is a pause, a contemplative gesture, and a reminder that simplicity can be deeply moving.
“My fundamental principle is to work as naturally as possible and with instinct.”
Laprade’s style: a narrative without words
What sets Romain Laprade’s work apart is not only his precise composition or carefully curated colour palette, but also his ability to turn light, colour and form into narrative elements in their own right.
His photographs do not describe or explain: they suggest. They open up interpretative spaces where the viewer is free to project emotions, memories, or dreams.
Laprade has become a master of the unspoken. His camera does not seek action or decisive moments, but rather to freeze time in instances of extreme stillness. Windows, walls, shadows and seemingly mundane objects become the protagonists of scenes imbued with intimacy.
The influence of design, architecture and cinema is tangible, but filtered through a sensitivity that renders each image unmistakably his.
A book that extends the journey: Distances Vol. 3
Coinciding with the exhibition, Yvon Lambert Editions publishes the long-awaited “Distances Vol. 3”, a book that extends the exhibition experience and offers a broader view of Laprade’s work over the past two years. With photographs taken across the globe — from the American West to Africa, from Europe to Asia — the volume creates an emotional atlas rooted in the same visual logic: clean structures, geometric compositions, tactile textures, and light shaping space with near-cinematic beauty.
The book also features a selection of archival images that serve as bridges between past and present, reinforcing the theme of continuity that runs throughout Laprade’s body of work. “Distances Vol. 3” is not only a beautifully crafted editorial object, but also a natural extension of the Laprade universe, allowing the viewer to immerse themselves in his gaze with patience and depth.
Settings that invite silence
Both in the exhibition and the book, Laprade’s chosen settings seem suspended in time. Human figures are absent — or when present, barely visible, fading at the edges of the frame. The true protagonists are the spaces: sun-drenched coastlines, endless deserts, dimly lit interiors, façades that catch the light at just the right moment. The absence of visual noise amplifies the contemplative quality of the images, which act as visual breathing spaces amid today’s constant overstimulation.
This embrace of subtlety doesn’t equate to coldness. On the contrary, there is a contained emotional depth in his work, a gentle melancholy that lingers on every surface. This is one of Laprade’s strengths: the ability to move without being obvious, to suggest without insisting.
A gaze that transcends borders
Laprade’s work has been recognised far beyond the realm of contemporary art.
His photographs have appeared in Holiday, Apartamento, The Plant, and M Le Monde, and he has collaborated with brands like Hermès, Lemaire and Aesop. Yet his personal work remains consistently true to itself, untouched by trends or commercial noise.
At this current moment, where photography is often drowned in excess, Laprade offers the opposite: an economy of means, a refined language grounded in silence and form. His work reminds us that contemplation is also a form of resistance.
“I like to find beauty in the trivial details of everyday life, giving the images a sense of immense calm.”
Until 1 of June
Visiting “Distances” at Yvon Lambert is not just about seeing photographs – it’s about entering a state of mindful awareness. The arrangement of the works, the choice of formats, the light within the space, and the rhythm created between the pieces come together to form an experience that feels more like the slow reading of a poem than a conventional exhibition.
“With Distances Vol. 3, I expand my vision of a growing collection, further exploring space, form, and light.”
Those in Paris over the coming weeks should not miss it. And for those unable to attend, “Distances Vol. 3” offers an open door into the introspective, elegant, and deeply aesthetic world of Romain Laprade – an artist who reminds us, image by image, that there is another way of looking at the world.
An unmissable exhibition for photography lovers.
(*) Photos provided by Yvon Lambert.
