Upon Joseph-Philippe Bévillard’s move from the US to Ireland at the beginning of the new millennium, he hailed a taxi ride from Shannon Airport. Just minutes into the ride, he caught his first glimpse into the world of Irish Travellers (Mincéirs). Witnessing their effervescent spirit and nomadic lifestyle captivated Bévillard, and ignited something personal in him. A seed was planted that would, many years and many friendships later, change his course and life as an artist and lead to his most defining and celebrated body of work, presented here, for the first time, in book form.
Born in Boston, Joseph-Philippe started drawing and painting after he lost his hearing at the age of 3. He took up photography during his senior year at a private school in Massachusetts. In 1985, he enrolled at the Rochester Institute of Technology to study photography where he remained there for 2 years before changing direction in career due to financial circumstances. In 1990 he return to photography to study at the Art Institute of Boston. In 2000, he emigrated to Ireland. Since 2010, he has been photographing the Irish Travellers which he hope will be his life-time project.
