“In a dystopian future, we risk seeing a generation that will only know trees, leaves, and flowers as artefacts in enclosed spaces.”
Petaling Jaya, 10 October 2025 – Francois BANCON’s first solo exhibition in Malaysia is a stark reminder that mankind’s encroachment on nature heralds the end of beauty and truth. Aptly titled Nature in Exile 2.0, the work is an allegory of nature that is both visually captivating and thought-provoking.
A French digital artist who has relocated to Malaysia, Bancon does not call himself a photographer in the conventional sense but instead uses photography to create digital works of art that are conceptual in nature. His images transcend reality into an unexpected brew of thoughts and emotions, designed to steer the audience from the comfortable domains of what is conventionally beautiful to a space for self-question, doubt and ultimately our own truth.
“To be an artist is not that easy, it is always to question the world and the societies, it compels one to love beauty in the world, both natural and human. This is what I’ve tried to do here with this Nature in Exile 2.0 series, through the theme of nature and its existential threat by mankind.
“Beauty remains the shortest path to truth, this was what the ancient Greek philosophers thought,” continues Bancon. “The idea for this series Nature in Exile 2.0 came quite naturally as I was working on an earlier series entitled “Fragmented Souls” that dealt with the issue of migration and displacement. Having interviewed and engaged with the migrant community, I felt the underlying sense of loss, nostalgia and longing for the motherland … the home that no longer is … but when you think about it in terms of how mankind has encroached on our environment, in the name of progress, we have become the conqueror with nature being banished to be the background prop for our daily modern lives … hence the title “Nature in Exile 2.0”.
“Essentially, climate change and migration are two fundamental issues faced by our generation today, ones that will test our humanity as a whole. These images are my artistic evocations in response to these twin crises, and I hope that the audience can connect in their own ways with these artworks.”
The underlying theme in Bancon’s work is nature and humans – juxtaposed and in conflict. The images are powerful as they evoke humility, longing and ultimately, HOPE, albeit tinged with irony. Oftentimes, there is truth and beauty in decay, as it allows for regrowth and regeneration.
According to the show’s Head Curator, Cyril Pereira, “François Bancon’s images tie the human presence to nature’s wreckage. They survey permanent loss. His compositions juxtapose cause and effect to provoke sober reflection. Is this an exhibition of photography? Is this digital manipulation art? Bancon offers his work as social commentary to make us rethink our priorities. He reminds us that we are racing into a future where flowers, trees, and birds may exist only in picture books.”
Having lived in Asia for over 20 years (Tokyo, Hong Kong & Shanghai), Bancon is no stranger to Malaysia and currently calls Kuala Lumpur home. “I love the multiculturalism that defines Malaysia, something evident when you go to your local mamak café for a teh tarik,” he muses.
“I studied Art History, Philosophy and Science in France. It was a long time ago, but I’m still studying,” says Bancon with a wry smile. It is this rather unusual profile that has led Bancon to carve out a successful career in the automotive sector with Renault-Nissan. His creative inclinations were best leveraged as the brand’s chief futurist, where Bancon led the Nissan Exploratory team to design and develop the exciting concept cars previewed at major auto shows globally.
“I’ve been making images for as long as I can remember, first drawing and painting, then photography and digital images, and I’ve never stopped, even when I was working in the automotive sector. I’ve had several exhibitions and books published in France, Japan, China, the USA and now here in KL.”
“I generally produce a series of images, each exploring a particular theme. This current exhibition focuses on Nature and its suffering. I’ve also worked on themes relating to Time, Identity, the prevalence of social media, and others. I’ve completed more than 40 art series, each comprising 50 to more than 100 images, generally in large format. In the creation of these artworks, I am constantly questioning the idea of “Images”.
“Whilst I photograph every single image you see in my artworks, I prefer to define myself as a contemporary artist rather than a photographer. I simply use photography to make digital images. I am definitely not a photographer in the conventional sense, but my artwork aims to move photography into a more creative and disruptive area, allowing me to explore universal and sometimes abstract themes, which I think is what Art is all about – the capacity to make the audience not only “Feel” but “Think”.
“The question is not simply “What is photography?” Perhaps the question should be “What is an Image? What does it tell us?”
“Some art and photography thinkers say that an Image is Art when it succeeds “to look at us” rather than us looking at the image. Today, we are besieged by too many images everywhere, which have become meaningless, lacking in ideas and substance. These images are to be consumed with a distracted eye, images upon images that are to the Art of Images what fast food is to the culinary arts by comparison.
“What distinguishes the Art of Images (photography, painting, sculpture, or video) from your everyday images is that it forces us to think, to reflect, to understand. In this respect, it is identical to literature. To produce a good photograph is not just about shooting a beautiful subject,” Bancon concludes emphatically.
If this piques your interest, why not drop by the exhibition to decide for yourself? Nature in Exile 2.0 opens on 12th October 2025 and will continue to 16 November 2025 at the Centre of Photographic Arts, located at Kokopelli Templar, 87 Jalan Templer, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Contact: +6013 507 8087.
