The Shade of the French Riviera

Nice, Antibes, Juan-les-Pins, France, 2016–2024.

The French Riviera sells itself on light and glamour. This series looks at its shadow. Over a decade, I have photographed my current home territory, the streets of Nice, the seafront at Juan-les-Pins, the alleys of Antibes, with the same discipline I bring to Kolkata or Havana. What emerges is a portrait of a place most visitors skim: layered, human, and lit by the peculiar intensity of Mediterranean afternoon sun. The Shade of the French Riviera is a long-term street photography series about everyday life on the Côte d’Azur, shaped by shadow, colour, gesture, and the quiet theatre of public space, part of Tarek’s long-term work as a street photographer based in Nice, documenting public life on the French Riviera.

Read the full essay about this series here.