Four years after his passing, Richard Aujard makes a brilliant comeback. The retrospective "11", presented in Paris from October 10 to 12, 2025, unveils for the first time the entirety of his world: fifty photographs, personal objects and rare archives.
At 19, his career began at the Vogue studio in Paris before he moved to Australia, where he photographed motorcycle clubs . This series, published worldwide , already established his style: raw, direct, vibrant. In 1985, he met Mickey Rourke in Los Angeles , forging an unbreakable friendship of over thirty-five years . "He managed to capture the souls he was looking for," the actor confided.
From Mike Tyson to Eric Cantona, from Monica Bellucci to Dennis Rodman, from Naomi Campbell to Native American tribes , Aujard captures the vulnerability behind faces . His images reject artifice, capturing the intertwined strength and fragility . "Sophistication makes me uncomfortable. I like both the strength and the flaws in people," he said.
The exhibition also features two rare series: Chopper Girl, which blends photography and collage, and Sang pour Sang (Blood for Blood), where the artist literally applied his own blood to his prints. “Putting my blood on my images is putting myself entirely into them,” he explained. This series, on loan from collector Jacques-Antoine Granjon, had not been shown for over ten years.
Beyond the images, "11" explores an intimate number, omnipresent in his career, sometimes slipped in as a signature in the corner of his photographs. Its exact meaning died with him, but this number resonates like a secret imprint that connects all his work.
In keeping with his commitment, an exceptional sale of a portrait of Mike Tyson will take place and the proceeds will be donated to the Jane Goodall Institute, faithful to its fight for the defense of animals.
In just three days, the public is invited to rediscover the intensity of an artist who photographed as he lived : with passion, without detours, to the point of abandonment.
"11" is not simply a retrospective, but an immersion into the gaze of a man who always saw beyond the masks.
Useful information:
Public exhibition: From October 10 to 12, from 10:00 a.m. to 20:00 p.m.
Location: Former Cours Florent – 35 Quai d'Anjou, 75004 Paris
Michael Schumacher, France (1996).
