Biography
Chan Hong Pierrot Men was born in 1954 in Midongy-Atsimo, on the south-east coast of Madagascar. He has always lived and worked in Madagascar. Currently based on the in the highlands in Fianarantsoa.
His artistic journey started unexpectedly: at the age of 17, during an open day to learn about the professions, he attended a performance by an artist, which was a real turning point. He then decided to quit his studies to devote himself to painting.
In 1974, Pierrot Men, while working part-time in the family grocery shop, bought a photo enlarger and opened his first photo lab.
For 17 years, photography remained for him only a source of both artistic and financial support for his painting endeavours, limited to family photos, weddings and christenings. It was only after a friend noticed that his photographs were much more interesting than paintings that he decided to devote himself fully to photography.
Pierrot Men currently runs a photography studio with his wife called “Labo Men”. This space combines a photo lab, photo supplies shop, framing services and photo studio, as well as a gallery where his work is displayed.
In 2017, he also opened a gallery in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar.
Pierrot’s photographs and reports have been published in numerous periodicals and photo magazines.
Since 2005 — he has been represented by Galerie Capazza, France.
Since 2019 — he has been represented by Galerie 21, France.
Since 2025 — member of the Noga Creative Union (NCU).
Awards & Honors
2025 — Selected for inclusion in The Lunar Codex, a landmark art project archiving works by artists from around the world to be preserved on the Moon.
2024 — Finalist in the Sustainability category of the Louis Roederer Foundation Photography Award.
2023 — Shortlisted in the African Photography category of the James Barnor Foundation Photography Award.
2022 — Finalist in the Eyeshot Open Call street and documentary photography competition.
2021 — Commander of the Order of Arts, Literature and Culture, Madagascar.
2000 — Laureate of the United Nations Environment Programme, CANON Award.
1997 — Gold medal at the 3rd Francophone competition, Madagascar.
1994 — Laureate of the Mother Jones International Foundation Documentary Photography Competition, Leica Award, San Francisco.
Solo exhibitions
2023 — Instantane’s de vie, Galerie de l’Oeil and PK.Art Gallery, Lectoure, France.
2023 — Madagascar…, Thonon-Les-Bains, France.
2022 — Headquarters of the Agence Française de Développement, Paris, France.
2022 — European Court of Auditors, Kirchberg, Luxembourg.
2021 — Resonance, Chateau de Aufort, Dordogne, France.
2019 — PhotoSaintGermain, 8th edition, Galerie Lee, Paris, France.
2014-15 — Madagascar fragments of life, Futuroscope Park, Poitiers, France.
Group exhibitions
2025 — 12th edition of the festival L’Art en chemin under the artistic direction of Alain Bron, Oise, France.
2025 — Aux sommets, The contemporary art centre ‘Le Hang-Art’, Esquièze-Sére, France.
2025 — Pierrot Men, photographs presented in collaboration by the Château d’Ainay-Le-Vieil and the Galerie Capazza, France.
2024 — Home Almost Home, curated by Joël Andrianomearisoa, Galerie FLOW, Antananarivo, Madagascar.
2024 — Three Months of Thematic Photographs, Gallery 21, Toulouse, France.
2023 — Shimmering Madagascar, Minneapolis, USA.
2022 — Presence (s) photography, Ardèche, France.
2022 — Abbaye royale de l’Épau, saison photographique 2022, Sarthe, France.
2022 — EYESHOT Open Call Street and Documentary Photography, Palazzo Borgia del Casale, Rome, Italy.
2021 — Photo Tour, Port Intangible Heritage, Le Port, Reunion.
2021 — Galerie Capazza, Nancier, France.
2021 — Dialogue of the Humanists, Gallery 21, Toulouse, France.
2018 — Madagascar – Art of the Big Island, The Quai Branly Museum — Jacques Chirac, Paris, France.
2016 — Between Reality and Utopia, Cité des Arts Saint-Denis, Saint-Denis, Reunion.
2015 — 4th photographic meeting of three countries on the theme of Travelling, Au Triangle, Uning, France.
2012 — Contemporary Art of Asia and Africa, Xinjiang and Xitang, China.
2010 — Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium.
2009 — 2nd World Biennale of Images, Photoquai, The Quai Branly Museum — Jacques Chirac, Paris, France.
2009 — Biennale of African Photography, Bamako, Mali.
2006 — 1st International Art Biennale in Malindi, Kenya.
2002 — JB Pictures Gallery, Sag Harbor, USA.
1998 — Group exhibition of African photographers presented by Revue Noire, European House of Photography, Paris, France.
1994-2007 — African meetings of photographers, Bamako, Mali.
Bibliography
2019 — ZAZAKELY: Enfants de Madagascar, Hosti, fr., ISBN 978-2 956 392 415, France.
2018 — La Mer Сomme Quotidien, Hosti, fr., ISBN 978-2 956 392 408, France.
2015 — Des Hommes et des Arbres, Carambole, fr., ISBN 979-1 093 938 028, Madagascar.
2014 — Les Couleurs de Madagascar, Terrebleue, fr., ISBN 978-2 909 953 373, France.
2014 — Madagascar, fragments de vie, No comment, fr., ISBN 979-1 090 721 104, Antananarivo, Madagascar.
2012 — Il était une femme…, No comment, fr., ISBN 979-1 090 721 043, Antananarivo, Madagascar.
2011 — Chroniques malgaches, De l’Oeil, fr., ISBN 978-2 351 371 312, Montreuil, France.
2011 — Portraits d’insurgés, Madagascar 1947, Vents d’ailleurs, fr., ISBN 978-2 911 412 882, La Roque-d’Anthéron, France.
2011 — De Colline en Colline, SOL: LUNE 2009 Rwanda, fr., ISBN 2-9 526 80 345, Rwanda.
2008 — Enfances, Diapason, fr., Object number: 356 311 908 959, Madagascar.
2006 — Pierrot Men, photographe, De l’Oeil, fr., ISBN 978-235 1 370 773, Montreuil, France.
2003 — MADAGASCAR, La grande île secrète, Autrement, fr., ISBN 9 78-2 746 702 622, Paris, France.
2002 — Madagascar, Autrement, fr., ISBN 978-2 746 702 622, Paris, France.
1999 — Tsanga-Tsanga. Fragments malgaches, Mollat, fr., ISBN 978-2 909 351 537, Bordeaux, France.
1998 — Madagascar un Parcours Photographique: Pierrot Men — 1998, Labo Men, fr., ISBN B00AHYH4V2, Fianarantsoa, Madagascar.
Museum collection
2021 — Eight colour prints from the Briques series have been acquired by the French government through the National Centre for Visual Arts (Centre National des Arts Plastiques, CNAP).
