Issac Julien is known internationally for his pioneering apporach to representaion, aesthetics and politics in film and photography.  He came to prominence in the film world with his 1989 drama-documentary Looking for Langston, which gained a cult following for its poetic exploration of Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance.  This following was expanded in 1991 when his film Young Soul Rebels won the Semaine de la Critique prize for best film at the Cannes Film Festival.

Julien’s work has been acclaimed for its theoretical sophistication, lush sensuality, intelligence and emotional complexity.  One of the objectives of his work is to break down barriers between different artistic disciplines, drawing from and commenting on film, dance, photography, music, theatre, painting and sculpture, and uniting these to construct a powerfully visual narrative.  His complex and mesmerising audio visual installaions and photographs portray rich narrative journeys through space and time and reflect poetically on geopolitical movement and the impact of location—both cultural and physical.