ABOUT
Jean-Pierre Laffont, a prominent photojournalist, graduated from the School of Graphic Art in Vevey, Switzerland. A co-founder of Gamma USA and Sygma Photo News agencies, he covered global events for over 50 years. His impactful work appeared in esteemed publications like Time, Newsweek, and Paris Match. Recognized as one of the most influential photographers, Laffont received awards including the World Press Photo accolade. He’s honored with the French Order of Arts and Letters and Legion of Honor. Laffont’s lens captured iconic figures and pivotal moments, shaping his legacy in photojournalism.
In 1996, Jean-Pierre was honored with the National French Order of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (a Knight in the National French Order of Arts and Letters). In 2016, Jean Pierre was named International Photographer of the Year of the Pingyao Photo Festival in China. In 2020, he received The Lucie Award for Achievement in Photojournalism and The Visa D’Or Award du Figaro Magazine for Lifetime Achievement. In 2023, he was nominated as Chevalier (Knight) of the Order of the Legion of Honor for 60 years at the service of photojournalism. Laffont resides in New York with his wife Eliane.
Jean-Pierre Laffont’s lens captured the pivotal moments that shaped America across the decades, from the 1960s to the 1990s. With a keen eye, he documented the monumental events that marked this transformative era: the stark realities of the Vietnam War, the unraveling of Watergate, the historic departure of President Nixon, and the ground-shaking movements of women’s liberation. Often recognized as a unique French photographer, Laffont devoted a significant portion of his life to chronicle the profound shifts that swept through the United States.
Beyond American borders, Jean-Pierre’s photographic journey extended to the world’s various conflicts and upheavals. His lens captured the turmoil of riot-stricken Pakistan, the war-torn landscapes of Vietnam, and the explosive aftermath of bombs in Guam. He documented the fervor of Mozambique and Angola’s fight for independence, the devastating floods in Bangladesh, and the aftermath of Nicaragua’s earthquake. His camera lens transported him to India, where he spent two years following Indira Gandhi’s story, Cuba with its iconic cigar factories, the awakening of China, the complexities of Soviet Poland, the enigmatic USSR, and the strife in Lebanon. Among his subjects, he immortalized legends like Muhammad Ali, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and several presidents during his White House tenure.
AWARDS AND HONORS:
1962 / Cross for Military Valor for his humanitarian acts during the Algerian War
1979 / First Prize: New York Newspaper Guild, for “Child Labor”; Overseas Press Club: Madeline Dane Ross award, for originating the use of photography to raise awareness of child labor conditions around the world.
1980 / World Press: First Prize, General Picture category; University of Missouri, School of Journalism: First Prize, World Understanding Award
1996 / French National Order of Merit: named Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
2016 / International Photographer of the Year of The Pingyao Photo Festival; China.
2020 / Visa d’or Award du Figaro Magazine for Lifetime Achievement.
2021 / Lucie Award for Achievement in Photojournalism.
2023 / Knight of the Legion of Honor
Exhibitions (selective)
2012 / “Mon Algérie”, Projection – Visa pour l’Image, Perpignan, France
2014 / Photographer’s Paradise – Turbulent America 1960-1990, film – Visa pour l’Image, Perpignan, France
2015 / Turbulent America, Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP), Paris, France
Photographer’s Paradise – Foto Fusion: Cultural Center, Palm Beach, Florida, USA
2016
/ Turbulent America – Photo Biennale, Central Exhibition Hall Manège, Moscow, Russia
Turbulent America, Tri Postal, Lille, France
Turbulent America, Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China
2017 / New York City Up and Down, Projection – Visa Pour l’Image, Perpignan, France
Jean Pierre Laffont, Un Français à New York – Galerie de l’Instant, Paris, France
2017 – 2018 / Turbulent America, Sous Les Etoiles Gallery, New York City, NY, USA.
2018 / Laffont’s Long March – Beaugeste Gallery, Shanghai, China
New York Up and Down – Shenzhen Photo Festival, Shenzhen, China
Jean Pierre Laffont New York Down and Out – Leica New York City, NY, USA
2019 / Jean Pierre Laffont Turbulent America – Candiani, Mestre, Italy.
Mes Stars en Amérique – Les Grandes Rencontres Salon de La Photo, Paris, France.
2020 / Mes Stars en Amérique – Galerie De L’Instant, Paris, France.
2023 / Gangs and Protests by Jean Pierre Laffont – Sous Les Etoiles Gallery, New York City, NY, USA.
Hip- Hop: Conscious and Unconscious – Fotografiska New York, NY, USA.
