For Galerie E.G.P’s first year at Paris Photo L.A., the gallery will present a solo exhibition by artist Rachel Rom. This is the Paris--‐based gallery’s first U.S. show since opening an office space in New York this past fall, marking the start of its North American presence. Rachel Rom is the conceptual name for acclaimed photographer Romina Shama, who joined the gallery in November 2013. It was a little before upon joining Galerie E.G.P that Shama, a graduate from Central Saint Martins School (London) known for her work with high fashion brands like Chanel and Dior, and portraits of actresses, writers, comedians, and filmmakers from Miranda July to Zoe Le Ber, began working under the pseudonym Rachel Rom, echoing the relationship between her work as a photographer and her conceptual approach to the fine arts.

Rom is best known for her cinematic images, sweeping portraits reminiscent of black and white films. Depicting her subjects from unexpected angles or seemingly unaware of her presence, Rom creates the impression of capturing a fleeting moment in time. This sense of the temporal is enhanced through Rom’s unconventional use of light; she inserts cinematic glare into her works, further dislocating the subject, and inviting viewers to meditate on the very notion of portraiture.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of Rom’s work is her use of photography as a material. Employing a host of techniques that span the history of photography, from the traditional use of silver prints and gelatin to iPhone photos, Rom explores the medium’s varied potential. Taking photography as a starting point, Rom makes a photo, and then often removes portions, re--‐photographs, layers imagery, or alters the original composition, creating singular works that verge on sculptural.

Among the works on view will be Naked Fragmented, which depicts a naked woman walking down the road, though the image of the woman herself has been removed from the frame, and placed just alongside of it. Through this work Rom refutes the notion of photography as a reproducible medium, challenging conventional ideas about the boundaries and limitations of a photograph. A collection of additional works from Rom’s 2014 solo exhibition Fragments will also be on view, including several large format photographs, and a series entitled Remanence Wall. The Remanence Wall series reflects the deeply interconnected nature of Rom’s work, and the way in which her exhibitions reference one another. These works feature photographs mounted on a portion of wall from a previous exhibition, with the background for the works made of wallpaper, which itself is composed of images displayed in an even earlier exhibition. Through this layering of imagery, Rom draws a line from one body of work to the next, building upon each work and allowing the passage of time to influence and change each piece.

Galerie E.G.P was founded in 2009 by Lydie Ullmann and Reine Ullmann Okuliar. Committed to being a platform for showing innovative and pioneering art, Galerie E.G.P has taken on a diverse roster of both established and emerging artists from around the world, including Takesada Matsutani, Kambui Olujimi, Oliver Bragg, and Rachel Rom. Representing artists who work in a variety of media including photography, sculpture, and performance art, Galerie E.G.P is dedicated to showing groundbreaking work, and collaborating with leading museums, curators, and artists to present a dynamic gallery program. In 2014 Galerie E.G.P opened a New York office, marking the beginning of their expansion into the North American market, and hired Katia Tosco to join the gallery as Communications Officer.