Olivier Asselin grew up in Eastern Quebec, Canada, where he studied and worked in the IT field for four years before deciding to dedicate himself to photography. He graduated in 2004 from the Western Academy of Photography in Victoria, British Columbia, and spent the following year working in the newspaper industry in Western Canada and Morocco. In 2005, he relocated to Accra, Ghana, where he lived for four years, covering the region for development organizations and editorial clients. Now based in Dakar, Senegal, he continues to work throughout Africa for clients such as UNICEF, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the New York Times, and the Associated Press. Olivier has worked on assignment in over 15 countries throughout Africa. He is fluent in English, French and Spanish and has a working knowledge of Portuguese. He is available for assignments worldwide. | ||
CLIENTS | ||
| Associated Press Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation GAVI Alliance Global Forum for Health Research Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) New York Times United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) USAID's West Africa Trade Hub USAID's TIPCEE World Health Organization (WHO) | ||
PUBLICATIONS | |
| The National, U.A. Emirates Newsday, USA E Magazine, USA MSNBC.COM, USA BBC Online, UK The Guardian Unlimited, UK Washington Post, USA Afrique Magazine, France Jeune Afrique, France Courrier Japon, Japan | TIME, USA Newsweek, USA The New York Times, USA Le Nouvel Observateur, France Chicago Tribune, USA Boston Globe, USA Toronto Star, Canada Vancouver Sun, Canada National Post, Canada Reader's Digest Canada ARISE Magazine |
| HONORS | ||
| 2009 | Magenta Foundation's Flash Forward Selected as one of Magenta Foundation's Emerging Photographers | |
| 2008 | News Photographers Association of Canada - Photo of the Year Winner - Third place - Sports feature category | |
| PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris The Human Condition Photo Contest Honorable mention | ||
| 2007 | Gordon Parks International Photo Contest Winner, Third Place | |
| X Luis Valtueña Award for Humanitarian Photography Honorable mention | ||
| 2006 | IX Luis Valtueña Award for Humanitarian Photography Winner, Another World is Possible special award | |
| Eddie Adams Workshop, Barnstorm XIX | ||
| 2004 | Western Academy of Photography - Best overall student - Best photojournalist - Best photo essay - Best portfolio - Best image | |
| EXHIBITIONS | ||
| 2008 | Inside Out: A collection of Ghanaian stories (solo exhibition) Alliance Française, Accra, Ghana | |
| 2007 | Regard sur l'industrie minière au Ghana/ A look on the Ghanaian mining industry Théâtre À la Petite licorne, Montréal, Canada | |
| Human Trafficking: Images of Vulnerability (group exhibition) United Nations Visitors Gallery, New York, USA | ||
| 2006 | The Naked Truth (group exhibition) Center for Fine Art photography, Fort Collins, CO. USA | |
| 2004 | Light Sensitive (group exhibition) CAC Arts Centre, Victoria, Canada | |