SALT IN EYELASHES
Cléo Nikita Thomasson
“Salt in Eyelashes” is a compelling photography and video project by Cléo-Nikita Thomasson, observing the identity and development of teenagers growing up on Greek islands. Set against the open, wind-swept backdrop of the sea, Thomasson’s lens explores how young bodies reveal, affirm, and connect with one another in the uniquely unbound spaces of island life. This project is a continuation of her long-term exploration of adolescence, first seen in The Lobster Complex, where she immersed herself in the intimate world of teenagers in Brussels, and later in Bank, a series documenting Luxembourg’s skate culture.
Her personal connection to Greece is central to Thomasson’s work. Having spent much of her childhood traveling through the country’s islands under the influence of her parents, she describes the experience as one that shaped her vision, education, and approach to life. The islands, she says, are like a “second home, a second skin.”
In Salt in Eyelashes, she continues her search to understand the world of adolescence, this time focusing on young people who have grown up on these Greek islands. Through their bodies, their gazes, and their vulnerabilities, Thomasson seeks to capture the essence of island life. Her goal is to amplify the voices, stories, and emotions of those who have experienced island living, exploring the intersections of identity and place. By documenting their testimonies, she aims to deepen her understanding of adolescence while fostering an exchange of knowledge on this complex subject.
Cléo Nikita Thomasson
Cléo-Nikita Thomasson (b. 1994) is a French documentary photographer based in Lyon, whose work spans from Brussels to Greece.
A graduate of ESA 75, the École Supérieure des Arts et de l’Image in Belgium, Cléo-Nikita specializes in long-term documentary projects that explore human intimacy and identity. Cléo-Nikita’s work is rooted in observation, often blending documentary photography with a profound sensitivity to the intimate and the ordinary. Her images, often paired with written texts, offer a psychological depth, capturing the tactile quality of skin, the power of a glance, or the subtlety of a gesture. Through her lens, these everyday moments become a tender reflection of human life.
As a co-founder of the Horizon collective, her work has been exhibited at venues such as the Larvoratoire Photographique de Douarnenez, the Chapelle Saint Antoine in Naxos, and the Biennale de l’Image Possible in Liège, among others.
