Martine Perret is a photographic artist who was born in Paris and now lives and works from her base in Margaret River. She is known for her startlingly beautiful portrayal of the Western Australian landscape, often employing aerial captures and portraiture to tell important stories of our times. Her approach to artistic work is based a career in photojournalism, which includes a decade covering UN peacekeeping missions in conflict zones such as South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Timor-Leste, and West Africa, where she documented the Ebola crisis.
Recent projects like ‘Ngala Wongga (Come Talk), Cultural Significance of Languages in the Goldfields’, exhibited across galleries in WA and in 2019 at the UNESCO International Year of Indigenous Languages at the Australian Embassy in Paris and ‘Belong: Language Connecting Feeling, Culture, Country’ exhibition at the WA Museum Boola Bardip in Perth highlight the importance of First Nations’ languages.
In December 2022, Martine was honoured to travel to Paris with Wardandi Elders Vivian Brockman Webb, Mitchella Hutchins, and artist Roly Skender to launch the UNESCO International Decade of Indigenous Languages. This included the presentation of the collaborative audio-visual work Wannang Biridge (Light of the Peppermint Tree), originally created at The Farm Margaret River, following a residency with SymbioticA on photomicrography at CELLCentral in the School of Anatomy and Human Biology at The University of Western Australia.
Her evolving audiovisual practice unfolds through interlinked installations that explore the convergences of language, identity and culture within immersive visual environments, resonant photographic imagery, and textured narrative frameworks.
Solo Exhibition
2025: Corps Territoire – Nouméa New Caledonia –Centre Culturel Jean-Marie Tjibaou/ Origins Cinema
2025: Djanga – Spirit – Shipwreck Museum – Fremantle
2025: Beyond – Museum of the Goldfields – Kalgoorlie.
2025: ‘Djanung Nala Meela – Looking through our eyes ‘ – Museum of the Great Southern – Albany
2024: Djanga – Spirit – The Farm Margaret River / Head On photo festival Open call
2023: Wannang Biridge – Margaret River HEART – CinefestOZ festival
2023: Transference – Ellenbrook Arts Gallery
2021/22: Belong – language connecting feeling, culture, country – WA Museum Boola Bardip – Perth
2020: Beyond – Above Western Australia – The Bank Gallery – North Midland Project – Carnamah
2019: ‘Ngala Wongga cultural significance of languages in the Goldfields’ Cannery Arts Centre – Esperance – WA ART ON THE MOVE (AOTM) – Katanning Arts Centre WA – ART ON THE MOVE, – Australian embassy – Paris – France ; 2018: – Mandurah Performing Arts Centre Alcoa gallery space WA – AOTM; 2017: Carnarvon Gallery WA – ART ON THE MOVE ; 2017 – TAFE Central Gallery – Perth – WA; 2016: inaugural on 30 September at Goldfields Arts Centre, Kalgoorlie – WA
Group Exhibition
2026: ‘Radical Futures’- Third Regional Arts Triennial – Gardiner Street Collective – Moora – WA
2026: Paper Tigers – Head On – Perth
2025: Paper Tigers – Head On – Courthouse gallery Cairns – Qld
2022-2024: Ebb+Flow North Midlands project, Carnamah – Port Hedland Courthouse Gallery -Kalgoorlie – Margaret River – Kalamunda. WA
2016/2017/2018/2019/2020/21/22/23/24 Margaret River Open Studios – The Farm Margaret River -WA
2023: Emergences Open Border – Holmes à Court Gallery at Vasse Felix – Margaret River -WA
2022: Coalesce group show with artists from South West WA. Bunbury regional Gallery – WA
2022: SWAN – South West Art Now – Good Sheds – Perth – WA
2022: SWAN – South West Art Now – Bunbury regional Gallery – WA
2021: Head On photo festival Leiden – The Netherlands
2020: Paper Tigers Australia’s Contemporary Photojournalists – Head On – Sydney – NSW
2018: Australiyaniality Holmes à Court Gallery – Perth – WA
Awards:
2024: Semi-finalist Head On landscape awards – Sydney
2023: Finalist Midwest Art Prize – Geraldton Regional Art Gallery
2023: Finalist National Photographic Portrait Prize – Canberra National Portrait Gallery
2022: Finalist Mandorla Art Award – Perth
2021: Finalist Midwest Art Prize – Geraldton Regional Art Gallery
2020: Finalist Best Feature Photographic Essay The Guardian, “Ebola Response in North Kivu – Democratic Republic of the Congo” MEAA Western Australia Media Awards
2019: Olive Cotton award 2019 – finalist – Tweed Regional Gallery, Murwillumbah
2017: Finalist Head On Portrait Prize – Sydney – Museum of Sydney
2016: Winner Best photography in Show – City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Art Prize
2016: Finalist Doug Moran Contemporary Prize
Photographic Workshops and residencies:
SymbioticA – photomicrography project at CELLCentral in the school of Anatomy and Human Biology at The University of Western Australia.2022. North Midlands project: 2017-2023: Workshops in Coorow, Perenjori, Morawa, Carnamah, Moora schools with Ebb+Flow and Time and Place residencies. Awesome Arts: 2018-2022: Leonora District high-school, Wiluna Youth Center, Port Hedland High School. Laverton Cross Cultural Association: Laverton Youth Centre. Norseman District High School – Creativity for Schools (2023). Montessori school Margaret River (2024).
Books self-published:
ABOVE – Margaret River Region – 2023; Belong – language connecting feeling, culture, country – 2021; Ngala Wongga, Cultural Significance of Languages in the Goldfields – 2019. Beyond – Above Western Australia – 2017; Margaret River Region FROM ABOVE – 2014
Collections: WA Museum Boola Bardip acquisition work Ngala Wongga, Wesfarmers, Voyager Estate, North Metro TAFE, St John of God Hospital.
Photographic work prior to moving to Margaret River in 2014:
1999-2002: Photo desk and freelance photographer: The Australian Financial Review – Sydney
2003-2004: Freelance photographer East Timor
2004-2005: United Nations Peacekeeping mission photographer in Burundi: ONUB Mission
2006-2007: United Nations Peacekeeping mission photographer in Dem Rep of The Congo: MONUC
2007-2012: United Nations Peacekeeping mission photographer in Timor-Leste : UNMIT
2010: Temp deployment photographer for MINURSO – Western Sahara
2013-2014: United Nations Peacekeeping mission photographer in South Sudan: UNMISS
2014: Temp deployment photographer UNMEER -UN Mission Ebola Emergency Response – West Africa
2017: Temp deployment photographer for UNMAS: United Nations Mine Action Service – South Sudan
2019: Temp deployment photographer for EERC -UN Emergency Ebola Response Coordinator– Dem Rep of the Congo – North Kivu and Ituri
Studies:
1992-1993: European BBA Bachelor Business Administration – International Business Center in Geneva – IEMI Paris/Geneva. 1992-1993
1989 -1991: Diplôme Universitaire de Technologie – IUT Tech de Co – Université Bordeaux 1 – France
1988 – Baccalaureat B – Economic sciences.
Languages:
Mother tongue – French
Fluent: English
Spoken: Italian, Spanish, Tetum (Timor-Leste)
Basic Knowledge: Chinese, Bahasa Indonesia, German.
Studies in Pitjantjatjara/Yankunytjatjara language and culture at Adelaide – UniSA summer program– South Australia
Extra-curricular:
2025: invited to be part of Echappées belles special on Margaret River/Perth (Broadcast 2026)
2024: Invited to be part of the TV series for the Margaret River Region Episode N1. with Julia Zemiro
https://www.sbs.com.au/whats-on/article/great-australian-walks-season-2/355bl0jbt
2024: Finalist 2024 French-Australian Excellence Awards – Arts, Culture, Entertainment & Events