In her 'Humane' series, Vethan Sautour challenges the meaning of its eponymous term. Each photograph depicts a human flaw or threat standing for humanity's darkest facets. Seven fateful allegorical figures, of which only the eyes, hands and attributes can be seen, emerge from the darkness. These entities wear symbolic masks, whose menacing looks peer through the lens at the viewer.

Similar to Jacques' monologue in Shakespeare's "As You Like It", they populate a dark universal stage, where humanity plays itself out, battling its nature, haunted by looming entities it must stay away from to survive. Depicted in the style of Old Masters portraits, the grain of the photographs and shades draw their inspiration from oil paintings to accentuate the universality and timelessness of their themes.

 

Humanity is facing more than seven menaces, but the following have been considered the most important:  pandemic, cruelty, vanity, greed, war, mental health and fear.

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The photographs are editions of seven.