Pascal Villeneuve
A national of France, Pascal Villeneuve spent his childhood in France as well as in Senegal, in the Congo and in New Caledonia.
Raised in different cultures, biotopes and socio- economic environments, he came of age mindful of the diversity of human development dynamics, shaped by history, ethnicity and geography, and their impact on the environment.
Having trained in medicine and public health, he then worked for three decades for UNICEF, the United Nations’ Children Fund, in Africa and Asia, as well as in New York and Geneva.
Throughout his career, he used the emotional power of photography to bring into focus child deprivations, advocate for policy changes such as in the area of child marriage, and to rally public opinions against child rights violations and injustice.
Through his lens, he also likes to capture pure moments of cheerfulness in children, moments which hold the promise that, though not always following a straight line, the path to a better world is possible.
Published in 2021, his first photography book is on Bangladesh, where he served as UNICEF Representative between 2012 and 1014. Pascal Villeneuve’s images speak to the effects of our rapidly changing ecosystem on the lives of normal people, the growing inequities, the resilience and successful adaptation of a few contrasting with the growing vulnerability and desperation of far too many. In the 2022 ND Awards competition, a selection of his book’s photos got him the gold star award in the photojournalism/story category.
Pascal Villeneuve lives in Dakar (Senegal). “Lebou fishermen of Senegal – Lords of a dying sea” is his second photojournalism project. In this project, his aim is to draw attention on the unsustainable exploitation of marine resources in West Africa and in Senegal in particular, and its profound negative impact on the livelihoods of traditional coastal fishing communities and on food security.
Book: “Bangladesh – defying the odds”. Printed by Escourbiac/France (2021)
Exhibition: “Bangladesh – defying the odds”. Initial Labo gallery (2021)
