It is unsurprising that French photographer Valérie Belin (born 1964) should so plainly declare: “I come from painting.” Although she uses a photographer's equipment, her images are far removed from realism. Whether responding to a still life by Édouard Manet or exploring societal constructions of female beauty, Belin emphasizes textural artifice and molded color, even when working in black and white.

It is unsurprising that French photographer Valérie Belin (born 1964) should so plainly declare: “I come from painting.” Although she uses a photographer's equipment, her images are far removed from realism. Whether responding to a still life by Édouard Manet or exploring societal constructions of female beauty, Belin emphasizes textural artifice and molded color, even when working in black and white.