Monica Dalmasso

Born

1962-03-03

Birthplace

Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France

Biography

Monica Dalmasso, born in Nice in 1962, is a French photographer renowned for her work centered on mountains, wilderness, and human adventure. Born in Nice, she was fascinated by images from an early age: as a child, she collected and cut out photographs, thus nurturing her passion for visual creation and nature. After initially focusing on mathematics, she decided to follow her true vocation and enrolled at the École nationale supérieure Louis-Lumière in Paris, a leading institution in the fields of photography and audiovisual. At the same time, Monica Dalmasso distinguished herself as a high-level athlete, joining the French climbing team before devoting herself entirely to photography. Based in Chamonix for over twenty-five years, she has made the mountains her playground and her creative outlet. Her photographic approach is distinguished by great spontaneity and a constant search for emotion, for the spark that makes the eye vibrate. She favors so-called "hostile" environments—raw nature, unsanitized spaces—to reveal the poetry and intensity of the elements, the sporting gesture, and human adventure. Her photographs, both poetic and offbeat, renew our perspective on the mountains and nature, inviting contemplation and reflection on humanity's place in the wild. Monica Dalmasso was awarded second prize in the 2021 Paris Sport Photo professional competition, winning second prize in the Extreme Sports category for her image "Monolithe," which perfectly embodies her vision: nature, the harshness of the elements, the sporting gesture, and graphic design. She works both on commission (mountain resorts, brands, NGOs, events) and on personal projects, regularly exhibiting in galleries, notably in Paris (Galerie Jean-Denis Walter), and decorating hotels in Chamonix. Monica Dalmasso is today considered one of the rare female mountain photographers to take on the big routes, in mountaineering or ice climbing, while remaining guided by her deep love for nature and the transmission of its beauty.