French artist and photographer Bettina Rheims is widely regarded as an international star in erotic photography, famed for her seductive portraits of women. After having already enjoyed careers as a model, journalist and gallerist, Bettina Rheims began to explore photography in her late twenties, and has since become one of France’s most internationally acclaimed contemporary practitioners. Rhiems’ photographs are the visualisation of female eroticism in its sensual, emotional and disquieting varieties; her trademark is a sensitive and delicate, yet provocative approach to the subject. She has also been commissioned to take the official portraits of Presidents Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy.
Bettina Rheims, a pupil of Helmut Newton, calls herself a feminist and claims that her perspective of women is neither voyeuristic nor masculine. She tries to portray women who are in control of their own destinies but have retained a fragile aspect. Some of her most famous works include Chambre Close, Modern Lovers, Sofia a la cigarette, Maison Clos, Claudia VI, Paris, Just Like A Woman and Female Trouble. The prints we have available by Bettina Rheims are taken from her iconic X’mas Series, a collection of photographs featuring young women, still shy of their seductive power.
Bettina Rhiems has released a number of books featuring her photography including I.N.R.I, Shanghai, More Trouble, Femmes Fatales, Heroines, Rose, c’est Paris, Showgirls, Portrait of a Film and The Book Of Olga. Bettina Rhiems has worked on editorials for magazines such as Elle, L’Officiel, Citizen K, Tatler, 10 magazine and Marie Claire. Rheims has also shot advertising campaigns for Chanel, Lancôme, Diane Von Furstenberg, Bebe and Well.
In 1994 Rheims won the Award of the Grand Prix de la Photographie of the City of Paris and in 2002 was promoted by Jacques Chirac, then President of the French Republic, to the grade of Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur for her whole career.
Bettina Rheims' photography has been exhibited extensively: at the Centre Pompidou in her native Paris, and in solo exhibitions and retrospectives worldwide in Tokyo, Austria, Milan, Berlin, Moscow, New York, Sydney, London, Los Angeles, Helsinki, Vienna, Düsseldorf and Brussels.
Buy signed limited edition prints and books by Bettina Rheims at Opus Fine Art; the home of contemporary art.