Michael Kenna awarded the decoration of Officier des Arts et des Lettres, France

Bau-Xi Photo is proud to announce that on November 10, 2022, Michael Kenna was awarded the decoration of Officier des Arts et des Lettres at Paris Photo by the French Minister of Culture.

The artist’s life archive is to be housed by the French state at the Mediatheque de Photographie et Patrimoine (MPP). The sizable donation included 3,683 original silver gelatin photographic prints of images made in 43 different countries, along with their accompanying negatives and scans, 175,000 other negatives accompanied by their corresponding contact sheets, 6,422 working prints from the years 1983-2000, 1,280 Polaroid prints, 87 books and monographs printed on the work of Michael Kenna and all the archives relating to his artistic activity for the past 50 years.

Kenna reflects, “I have had a love affair with France since the very beginning of my career. Looking objectively, France is the country where I have photographed most, and there are more photographs from France in the donation than from any other country.” Read Article >

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ARTIST'S COLLECTION ONLINE

 Images (top to bottom): Michael Kenna, Full Moonrise, Chausey Islands, France, 2007, Silver Gelatin Print; Michael Kenna, French Canal, Study 2, TYBW, Loir-et-Cher, France 1993