William Keo

A French-Cambodian photographer who specializes in introspectively illustrating social issues, including migration, social exclusion, and inter-community intolerance.

Selected Photos

A building at the Bobigny-Pablo Picasso metro station outside of Paris.

(1/8)

The train station in Bobigny. It's a place where you can see so many people in movement. People from Paris who just finished or are starting their job. I spent so much time waiting here. It was my starting point to go to everywhere.

A tall residential building with a soft focused person in the foreground.

(2/8)

Photography tells more about the photographer than about the subject. There is not enough information, so we accept that it's a very personal point of view. It can be your fear, sex, origin; if you are a white woman, a black man, younger, older—all of that influences your photography.

An empty garden setting with chairs, benches, and a grill with the flame burning.

(3/8)

It’s an empty place, but you can understand that something will happen. You cannot see anybody in the picture. You can see flames, a grill, some empty chairs. But I'll just leave the mystery and let you discover what the picture’s about.

A portrait of a Tunisian man with blue eyes and a hand shaped shadow cast over his face.

(4/8)

My best friend. He’s Tunisian. I’ve spent so much time with him. He represents brotherhood. I learned with him the feeling [of having] friends who are too close to be just friends; they are just part of your family.

A pair of brown hands coasting pieces of corn over charcoal.

(5/8)

We went to a mall which was partially destroyed by the riots, and I shot a guy who had just grilled corn. I had to move fast because the corn sellers are illegal. In the confusion, I got the wrong camera and used the main body.

A low-angle portrait of an elderly asian man with striking silver hair.

(6/8)

My father taught me photography when I was a child. He's still a photographer but not a professional. I think, for him, it was a way to express his experience as a refugee. He's still a refugee; he fled the Cambodian Civil War.

Skyscraper buildings captured in the reflection of glass.

(7/8)

I'm obsessed with my own past, my own history, and my own hometown. Every morning, I'm just thinking about, what can I do in my hometown? What can I shoot? Who can I call to go further to do something here?

A large collection of photos from different time periods line the wall with out of focused picture frames in the foreground.

(8/8)

I try to avoid easy pictures, stereotypes. I love to go deep and have a more anthropological approach than just going with the flow. And because I'm a photojournalist, I try to give keys to people because nothing is so easy to understand.

William’s Website

"A website is like a house. It's a very personal space. You can visit and see what the photographer's like. It's a space for expression."

Template Design Features

A brutalist design created in collaboration with William Keo, with a roomy grid layout and a multitude of pages to highlight your work.

Apply for a Critique

An opportunity for an exclusive 20-minute session with William Keo for a one-on-one virtual review of your photography portfolio.

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The head and torso of William Keo, wearing a black shirt, against a neutral background.

The Magnum Collection

A set of six template designs inspired by six iconic photographers.