Olivier Jobard is represented by the photo agency M.Y.O.P.
In 1990, at the age of 20, he joined the Louis Lumière School of Photography in Paris where he was offered an end-of-course internship at the Sipa Press agency. He then joined the Sipa Press agency for 20 years.
Olivier covered many conflicts around the world: Croatia, Bosnia, Chechnya, Afghanistan, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Colombia, Iraq and more.
In 2000, he travelled to Sangatte, a French camp for irregular migrants. There, he met Afghans, Bosnians, Chechens... All were asylum seekers who had fled their countries because of war. These countries Olivier had gone to for news coverage, for the fighting, for the war... He was stunned by its broader consequences.
From this moment, he decided to dedicate his work to the underreported issues of migration. People in migration are too often described in numbers, pictured as a crowd of wild animals.
Olivier's photographic approach changed into a long term documentary work focusing on human stories, getting as close as possible to the people in migration, and staying with them for long periods of time.
Olivier has chosen to start making documentary films as well.
- Scam Long format award, festival vrai de vrai. Ethiopia: Tigré, a land of hunger. 2023.
- Prix du Grand Reportage de la SCAM au festival Vrai de Vrai. Ethiopie: Tigré, au pays de la faim.
- The Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière & Academy of Fine Arts photographic award. Our afghan family. 2022.
- Camille Lepage award, Visa pour l'image. Ethiopie, exils & drifts. 2020.
- Tim Hetherington Grant, World Press Photo. Dream of a rain of perfume. 2013
- Prize ESJ Lille, Figra film Festival. Mr. and Ms. Zhang. 2013
- Grant recipient, Festival Photoreporter Bay of Saint Brieuc. 2012
- Notre Famille afghane. Editions de Juillet. 2024
- Kotchok, sur la route avec les migrants. Ed. Robert Laffont. 2015
- Académie des Beaux-Arts. Notre famille afghane. 2024
- Bibliothèque Nationale de France. A l'école de la mer. 2024
- Permanent exhibition, Cité Nationale de l’Histoire de l’Immigration. Kingsley.
- Salines royales d'Arc et Senans, collective exhibition, Récits nomades. 2013
- Point Ephémère, collective exhibition with M.Y.O.P agency and the Secours Catholique. Les oubliés de nos campagnes. 2013
- Galerie Fait et Cause, Paris. La vie à durée déterminée. 2013
- Musée de Saint-Brieuc, festival Photoreporter en baie de Saint-Brieux. La vie à durée déterminée. 2012