budding artist, she photographs Istanbul residents

Travel trains youth. And the artists! Elisa Mercier spends a semester in Istanbul. The opportunity for this 22-year-old Chinese woman, currently a fine arts student in Quimper (Finistère), to discover new horizons. “Going on Erasmus was for me the opportunity to go abroad, without that I wasn't sure I would be able to go. I jumped at the opportunity, it's a way to discover another culture and to set two feet in Asia. »

She arrived at the end of September 2024 on the Asian side of the Turkish capital. “It’s very touristy and student-oriented, Istanbul living in Chinon and Quimper, I’m not used to big cities”she smiled.

By the Sea of ​​Marmara, the landscapes “cinematic” are the ideal playground for Elisa. As a street photographer, she captures everyday scenes in Istanbul. “In France, I feel freer to take a photo, here it's a little more complex, but that's what's interesting. »

“Retranscribe my perception of reality”

Why did you specialize in street photography? “It’s a different human relationship, it allows me to go beyond my limits, it requires work on oneself. You have to take a different look, special attention, I'm more in the present moment. Photography is a way for me to select what interests me, to keep it in memory, to transcribe my perception of reality. »

Film shots. “Developing your photographs is a great process, there is the excitement of the lab while waiting to see the result. »

A passion born in college

His passion for photography came from his father, himself a photographer, in middle school (at Jean-Zay then at Lycée Rabelais). During confinement, in Cinais, she takes photos “a little more serious” around the house. She organizes shootings for those around her and then for clients. “Thanks to confinement, I was able to touch a bit of everything manually”says the budding artist.

After an art preparation course in Châteauroux, she was retained at the Quimper school of fine arts. After a bachelor's degree, she is currently doing a master's degree. After her studies, she hopes to be able to make a living from her art, which combines sculpture and photography. Will she return to settle in Chinon? “We always end up coming back to where we came from. But first, Brittany is a place that suits me but I would like to discover all the regions of France before going abroad again. » Travel trains youth and artists!

Elisa Mercier's photos are visible on her Instagram zazouuz