Born in 1970 in Fréjus, he lives and works in Paris. After art history studies at the University of Grenoble, he entered the Arles National School of Photography, from which he graduated in 1996. Mathieu Pernot continued his personal work made of series that he develops over several years. His photographic approach inherits from the documentary tradition but subverts its protocols in order to explore alternatives, blinding his own photographs with archive images, therefore questioning social and theoretical issues. In this way, his ever-moving images evoke a reality far from being fixed or unchanging.

His story with the Gorgans resulted in a first exhibition at the Rencontres d’Arles in 1997 presented by Christian Caujolle, and a book Tsiganes (1999). He also created the association Yaka (yak meaning « eyes » in Romani) offering classes to children in reading and writing, plastic arts and sports, and helping adults in administrative procedures.

Among his recent solo exhibitions, Mathieu Pernot’s work has been displayed at the Jeu de Paume, the Maison Rouge (2014), the FotoMuseum in Antwerp (2015), and the Aichi Museum in Nagoya (2016).

Mathieu Pernot is represented by the Éric Dupont Gallery in Paris.