Scarlett Coten is a French photojournalist, born in 1959. Recognized for her explorations of identity and masculinity through intimate portraits that challenge stereotypes and cultural expectations, her artistic practice favors an immersive documentary approach enriched with a fictional dimension inspired by cinematic language. She subverts genre conventions through staging and the careful selection of natural settings.
Coten employs a distinctive style, combining vivid colors with carefully considered compositions, to create images that are both aesthetically striking and deeply meaningful. Each photograph invites viewers to reflect on the complexities of identity and social dynamics. Drawing on her own experiences—both as a woman in society and as an artist—she offers a unique perspective on questions that are at once personal and universal, including art, power, the traditional divide between author and subject, and the interplay between reality and imagination.
Her work has been widely exhibited and published. In 2016, she received the Leica Oskar Barnack Award, highlighting the impact of her work on contemporary photography.