The French photographer and writer, Valérie Legrand devotes her daily life to her passion since her recurrence of breast cancer in 2018, after 7 years of peace. As a great artistic soul, Art has always been close to her heart: whether it is through her practice of classical dance from an early age, her excellent handling of the pen, or her pictorial capture of time. Carried by her emotions, and more precisely following her first cancer in 2011, she decided to stage her quotient and interior life through these privileged artistic mediums. It is also a common practice of the artist to invite her rela- tives to appear in her images always in poignant chiaroscuro (strong contrast between light and dark), symbolic of her strengths and weaknesses.

​

Addressing on paper her sickness, torments and fears facing her second cancer was revealing for the artist, who encouraged by a dear friend named Caroline, embarked on the writing of her first book "Croisade vers un avenir plus doux”. Started in 2018, it shows the multiple stages in which her journey, constituting her so-called ‘crusade’, which can be qualified with the distance as beautiful and inspiring to others. Writing it was not only a source of comfort, but also allowed the artist to gather the keys in understanding her journey.

​

As for her photographs, her main themes are the capture of time and the representation of the human body, which itself continues to evolve over time. It causes her to let go of her feelings and move on, embracing her scars.