Paris-based photographer and filmmaker Kevin Couliau aims to unearth stories illuminating sports' profound impact on individuals and societies.

Son of an architect and brother to a pro skateboarder, a youth immersed in creativity and a deep passion for basketball helped him develop a keen understanding of sociology and urban design that seamlessly integrates into the composition and substance of his photography and films.

An essential part of his work examines the significant impact of basketball courts on urban landscapes and communities, capturing the people, details, colors, and structures as genuine ecosystems in constant evolution, witnessing the use of these spaces as absolute territories, recreational fields, or refuges to escape the day-to-day reality.

In 2013, he directed and filmed the award-winning documentary Doin' It In The Park (Netflix, PBS, Sundance Channel), delving into the rich history, culture, and global influence of pick-up basketball in New York City. Since then, Kevin has been exploring and documenting the sport's culture in more than 60 countries, establishing himself as the game's global explorer while revealing its boundless reach and power through exhibitions and publications.

His ability to capture stills, motion, and craft compelling narratives enables him to undertake a diverse range of short and long-form projects, leading to collaborations with renowned international entities such as Nike, Apple, and Hennessy, as well as cultural icons like LeBron James, Billie Eilish, Kobe Bryant, and Barack Obama.

Additionally, he devotes time throughout the year to Giants Of Africa, a non-profit organization leveraging basketball to educate and enrich the lives of youth in Africa.

Books & Publications

”Blacktop Memento, fragments of erosion”
published by Asphalt Chronicles & Common Practice - 2022

“When Basketball Inspires” - 2021
published by Trajectoire Studio (featured artist)

“The City Game” - 2020
published by Rizzoli Electa & MCNY (contributor)

Asphalt Chronicles
#03 Paris - 2017
#02 Dakar - 2016
#01 Manila - 2014
published by Asphalt Chronicles

Exhibitions

  • 2023
    "Heart of The City"
    commissioned by NYC Parks - The Arsenal Gallery, NYC
  • 2023
    "Remember The Why"
    commissioned by Adidas - Salt Lake City, USA
  • 2022
    ”Blacktop Memento”
    OFR bookstore - Paris, France
  • 2022
    ”House of Moves”
    commissioned by Hennessy - online
  • 2020
    ”The City Game”
    Museum of The City of New York
  • 2019
    ”Rise”
    commissioned by Trajectoire Studio - Paris, France.
  • 2018
    ”Sphere of Influence”
    commissioned by Jordan - Paris, France
  • 2017
    "Making Peace"
    commissioned by Making Peace - Toronto, Canada
  • 2017
    "Sphere of Influence"
    commissioned by the Mayor Office of Paris 9th district
  • 2017
    "Doin' It In The Park"
    Rush Art Gallery - New York City, USA
  • 2017
    "Raised"
    commissioned by Game Seven - W4 st courts, NYC.

Giants of Africa - Exhibition Catalog

Tabloid - 48 pages, 260 x 370mm, 60gr
Portraits - 32 pages, 190 x 294 mm, 120 g/m2 Offset

To mark the launch of the Giants of Africa x Kevin Couliau exhibition in Paris on January 12th, 2024, Asphalt Chronicles has produced a limited edition exhibition catalog.

Limited to 200 units, the catalog includes two publications. In tabloid format, the larger publication showcases Kevin Couliau's documentary photographs captured on the road with Giants of Africa over eight years. The second publication focuses on African youth, featuring studio portraits representing 16 countries created during the GOA Festival 2023 this past summer.

Tabloid - 48 pages, 260 x 370mm, 60gr
Portraits - 32 pages, 190 x 294 mm, 120 g/m2 Offset

All proceeds are going to support Giants of Africa in its charitable efforts for the youth.

20

Blacktop Memento, fragments of erosion

76 photos
Preface by Kevin Couliau
Foreword by Jesse Washington
160 pages + a 44 pages insert
explaining the printing process.

Book dimensions & weight :
23.7 x 17.8 x 1.8 cm / 750 gr
Edition of 1.000

ISBN 978-2-9578485-0-8

At the heart of Blacktop Memento is Kevin Couliau’s obsession with playground basketball and its imprint on urban landscapes. Through an archaeological exploration, the French photographer traces with Blacktop Memento an original cartography of asperities, wrinkles, and color spectra: memories sculpted by the encounters between man and matter.

Blacktop Memento is an independently published book retracing 10 years of photographic archives. Couliau’s first book, entirely printed and fashioned in French workshops using traditional binding techniques, showcases an unprecedented selection of stills produced from his personal archives, a series of 76 playground close-ups collected worldwide for over a decade.

Published by Asphalt Chronicles & Common Practice
Printed in France on 135gr/m2 Novatech satin paper using traditional CMYK inks mixed with fluorescent pigments Pantone 812c + 803c + 801c.

Printed on a Heidelberg Speedmaster CS 92 and assembled by hand at Atelier Bulk (Bordeaux, France ).

50

Blacktop Memento - Concrete Pack

76 photos
Preface by Kevin Couliau
Foreword by Jesse Washington
160 pages + a 44 pages insert
explaining the printing process.

Book dimensions & weight :
23.7 x 17.8 x 1.8 cm / 750 gr
Edition of 1.000

ISBN 978-2-9578485-0-8

This concrete sleeve holds a unique piece of basketball culture, an archaeological tribute to the game and its battlefields. Through 76 photographs, Blacktop Memento celebrates the textures, colors, and erosion provoked by countless runs, bounces, and crossovers. Memories sculpted by the encounters between man and matter captured throughout the world these past 15 years. Entirely manufactured in French workshops, this independently published book and limited-edition sleeve resurrect past playground recollections.

• one limited-edition sleeve built from an ultra-resistant and unique blend of concrete and fiberglass
25.6 x 18.7 x 3.6 cm
• one signed copy of Blacktop Memento, fragments of erosion
156 pages hardcover book printed on 135g/m² Novatech satin paper using CMYK inks
+ fluorescent Pantone 812c + 803c + 801c inks
23.5 x 18 x 1.7 cm
• one 40 pages booklet printed on 60g/m² Elementa white paper using CMYK inks
16.7 x 12.5 cm

400