Fabrice Wittner is an artist with a cause. Well known for his interest in raising awareness and prevention for climate change, the French artist and photographer found a way to bring together two of his passions: art and activism. Through a combination of environmentally friendly leatherette stencils atop low-pollution prints, Wittner turns breathtaking photos of the Northern Lights into an homage on Inuit iconography.
Wittner’s project “The Northern Lights – L’ Âme du Nord” is a stunning collection of vibrant photos. The prints could certainly stand alone on their artistic merit, but Wittner takes his process a step further, by superimposing Inuit images on top of the prints and then illuminating them with a light source such as a small torch. The result is a beautiful tribute to traditional Inuit culture and life in the Arctic that seems to leap out of the print.
On his profile on Bēhance, the artist says the project is “an invitation to step into the polar night and the traditional world of the Inuits through a series of long-exposure photographs and stencil made light paintings.”
Referencing his commitment of inspiring sustainability and a concern for the planet, he says, “The nocturnal and mystical mood created around old Inuit imagery is enlightening the polar night to make us think of the fragility of a culture and its environment. A matter we could be dealing with anywhere on Earth, a matter that is resonating with current ecological and climate issues.”
As ice melts and sea levels rise, Wittner hopes that his captivating images of the Inuit people, who are arguably most at risk from the effects of climate change, may draw attention to an issue that affects every citizen of Earth.