Short Story

Ann Ray was born the 21st of June in Brest, France. She lives and works in Paris, and Brittany (FR), by the ocean ; after living in Tokyo & London. Previously known as "Anne Deniau".

Biography : "I'm unfinished."

Her photographs have been exhibited worldwide in Museums & Art Galleries since 2000. "Eyes Shut", published in 2022, is her 7th book.

Collections : Victoria & Albert Museum (London), Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), Fondation Carmignac (FR), Collection Florence & Damien Bachelot (FR), Collection Yvon Lambert (Avignon, FR), Collection Maya Hoffman (FR), Musée Réattu (Arles, FR.)

Achievements, Present & Future

Ray’s major exhibition at the prestigious "Rencontres d'Arles", "Les Inachevés - Lee McQueen", started on 2nd of July 2018, and was curated by Sam Stourdzé, Director of the Festival. With 169 photographs and a movie displayed in a 500 sqm wide space, Ray proposed an honest and intimate photographic portrait of Lee Alexander McQueen as a sensitive visionnaire poet - and a spiritual approach of his oeuvre. To present this body of work, Ann Ray immersed herself in her impressive archive of 35000 analogue photographs taken from 1997 to 2010, until her friend's death. She has been delighted to transmit her experience through images, and thus to make justice to her beloved friend. “Images don’t lie”, she said. The book "Les Inachevés" was published as the catalogue of the exhibition. The press and audience’s responses were extraordinary, many journalists and visitors being deeply touched and quoting the exhibition as their favorite in Arles 2018.

The exhibition was then selected to travel to China at Jimei x Arles Festival in November 2018.

In April 2019, “Blind Faith” at Ca Pesaro Museum in Venice revealed around 55 photographic portraits (chosen amongst another major body of work : more than 200 portraits- photography & film- performed over 15 years). “Blind Faith” is one of Ray’s precious personal projects, exploring the inner invisible truth and ability to dream of all kinds of greats artists, resulting in a breathtaking yet peaceful series of very sensitive, unique portraits. With the eyes closed.

In April 2019 too Ray exhibited some iconic McQueen photographs at Galerie de la Beraudière in Brussels : “Gravitas”.

She also gave her first master-class at Venezia-Photo in April 2019: “Useless photographs”.

In October 2019, she revisited her story with McQueen to present a new exhibition: “Rendez-Vous” at Barrett Barrera Projects in Saint-Louis, USA. You may read the reviews in IMAGES/NEWS section.

In November 2019, she participated in an encounter with photography & art lovers, orchestrated by Culture Secrets, in her atelier in Paris.

In February 2020, Ray initiated the AVALANZ project in Paris, with two close friends, women, and artists: Vayssières, sculptor & Martinez, painter.The concept is to present in a private form, in a private place, for a short period of time, a very selective series of artworks by several women artists. AVALANZ is expected to happen every 18/24 months, following an iterative process where the first 3 artists invite the next ones.

Ray used the confinement in Paris to keep working in her atelier on her first series of compositions - initiated in 2019. A few collages have been exhibited as a worldwide premiere, along with various photographic works, at the Gallery Sabine Knust in 2020. This new exhibition, curated by Matthias Kuntz, started on October 15th 2020 in Munich for 8 weeks : “License to dream”.

In 2021, Ray worked on all sorts of compositions in her atelier, took photographs for Paris Opera and prepared her next book “Eyes Shut” gathering almost 2 decades of photographic works.

In April 2022, Ray gave for the second time a master-class at Venezia Photo: “Osmosis / the feeling of light"”.

In June 2022, Ray exhibits her photographic works & some compositions in Paris at Galerie Pierre-Alain Challier : “Les Yeux Fermés” . She published her new book “Les Yeux Fermés / Eyes Shut”, Volume I. A Limited Edition of the book has been created, with a numbered & signed silver print photograph, and an original artwork as the cover - all by the Artist.

In August 2022 too, she exhibits for the first time her compositions at Gallery Knust Kunz, Munich, starting on August 23rd 2022 : “Compositions - J’écris en français Comme je crie en français Comme je rêve en français” - thus marking a major new step in her artistic expression.

In November 2022, the Gallery Knust Kunz published a very first Art Book, made of texts, photographs and compositions, presenting all sorts of artworks by Ann Ray, at large. Matthias Kunz signed the foreword : “Ann Ray / Rue Des Artistes”

In December 2022, the exhibition “Rendez-Vous, Lee Alexander McQueen & Ann Ray”, started at Crocker Art Museum (USA), marking the debut of Ray’s collaboration with Barrett Barrera Projects, for a series of projects and exhibitions about Lee Alexander McQueen.

Summer 2023 : Some photographs by Ray will appear at Musée Reattu in Arles (FR), in the exhibition of the Florence & Damien Bachelot Collection : PORTRAITS - starting on July 1st 2023, curated by Andy Neyrotti, Director of the Museum, and Françoise Docquiert. This exhibition takes place in the Rencontres d’Arles festival 2023. The photograph “Mystères”, 1998, by Ann Ray, has been chosen for the invitation and the official poster of the exhibition, which will last until September 24th 2023.

In 2023, Ray works with the Manufacture des Emaux de Longwy, and for Paris Opera : “the Dante’s project” by Wayne McGregor. She pursues portrait photography for the Volume II of “Eyes Shut”, personal photographic works , and creation with more abstract compositions. A new McQueen exhibition “Rendez-Vous” took place at the Columbia Museum of Art (USA) in the autumn.

In early 2024, the MUSÉE RÉATTU acquired analogue photographs by Ray, appearing in a new exhibition “En noir et blanc”that opened on December 2023, until March 2024.

In 2024, Ray exhibited also Photographic works at Galerie de l’Instant, Paris in the group show : “Corps & Ames”, & in a solo show at Galerie de la Beraudière, Brussels : “Human Beings”. She exhibited at well in the USA : the exhibition “Rendez-Vous”- Lee Alexander McQueen & Ann Ray, produced by Barrett Barrera Projects, took place at the Frist Art Museum in Nashville from May to August.

In autumn 2024, Ray worked with the great choreographer William Forsythe at Paris Opera, observing the creative process during the creation of “Rearray” for Paris Opera Dancers, and the rehearsals of another major ballet by Forsythe : “Blake Works I”, created in 2016 for Paris Opera.

The McQueen exhibition “Rendez-Vous” took place at the Grand Rapids Art Museum (USA) in the autumn 2024 until January 2025.

Ray intends to publish in 2025/26 her long-time awaited book about choreographers & dancers, to be followed by an exhibition of photographs & films about dance. Ray has spent a significant amount of time with dancers worldwide since 2003, devoting entire artistic projects to some of them (see the movies “24 hours in man’s life”, “Insensé”). Her very first book, widely acclaimed, was devoted to the great artist “Nicolas Le Riche” in 2008 and appears frequently since, in top-10 lists of books about dance.

For 2025 & 2026, Ray is preparing two exhibitions. Photography : “In-visible” (temporary title). & Compositions on Canvas, created over the last 5 years : “White Pages”, “Labyrinths” and “Clouds”.

It is accurate to say that Ann Ray embraced a new creative cycle in 2019 , using now all kinds of media : photography, film, words, and compositions, to express herself. Art, as a necessity.