JONATHAN CHERRY: What got you started with photography?

MATTHIEU GAFSOU: Photography caught me.

JC: Any emerging artists inspiring you at the moment?

MG: There’s a lot. So let’s talk about friends. There’s Anne Golaz, Yann Gross, Mathieu Bernard-Reymond, Augustin Rebetez, Joel Tettamanti, Benoit Vollmer, Nicole Hametner, Eduardo Serafim & Christian Lutz.

JC: Whats your current project all about?

MG: My current project is about catholic church in a state of Switzerland called Fribourg, where this religion is still very strong. I am doing a mix of formal/patrimonial approach (near Dusseldorf school style, with a large format camera) and a more documentary aspect, doing portraitures with a strong and hard flash light.

JC: Where are you currently living and how is it shaping you?

MG: I live in Lausanne, Switzerland. This place could depress the most optimistic (especially on Sundays) but it also a beautiful one and it’s where I belong; where family and friends live.

JC: One piece of advice to recent photography graduates?

MG: Forget a lot of things. Do what you really like and not what you think people may be expecting you to do. Work, work and work. Learn a lot of things.

JC: Any big plans for 2012?

MG: Publishing two books. One is already funded.

JC: Favourite tree?

MG: Tree of life.