Denis Valery Ndayishimiye

About

          Denis Valéry Ndayishimiye is a Rwandan photographer and filmmaker based in Arles, France. His work explores Black masculinity, domestic intimacy, and identity trajectories across European and African contexts. Through analog portraiture, chromatic exploration, and visual storytelling, his practice creates quiet spaces for vulnerability and soft resistance within contemporary iconography.        

          He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Filmmaking from the East African University in Rwanda (2021), attended La Fémis Summer University Program in Paris (2023), and completed his Master's Degree at the École Nationale Supérieure de la Photographie (ENSP) in Arles (2026).        

Prizes & Distinctions

• 2026
  Superstudio Photo Award Winner — MIA Photo Fair, Milan (Italy)
  Lauretes for the series « Can I come to your place? » (Theme: Metamorphosis)
• 2026
  Génération ENSP — Les Rencontres d'Arles (France)
  Solo exhibition showcase for newly graduated ENSP talent
• 2022
  RDB Award Winner — Rwanda Development Board, Kigali            
• 2021
  Research Grant — King’s College London            
• 2020
  Talents Durban — Durban FilmMart Institute / Berlinale Talents            

Selected Exhibitions & Festivals

• 2026 Génération ENSP, Les Rencontres d’Arles, France
• 2026 Superstudio Award Finalist Exhibition, MIA Photo Fair, Milan, Italy
• 2025 La Guerre de la Langouste, Les Rencontres d’Arles, France
• 2025 Pylônes, Miraval-Lauragais, France
• 2025 Le Printemps du Méjan, Arles, France
• 2024 Le Mal du Corps, Institut Français de Kigali, Rwanda
• 2022 Being of Bones, FESPACO (Burkina Faso), DIFF (South Africa), Carthage (Tunisia)