Charles Fréger

CHARLES FRÉGER (Bourges, France, 1975)
"Rikishi extérieur, nuit" Rikishi Series, 2004.
C-print mounted on aluminum sheet. Print no. 2/3.
Features informational labels on the reverse.
Signed, dated, titled, and inscribed by hand.
Measurements: 59 x 44 cm; 81 x 67 cm (frame).
In this photograph, Charles Fréger presents the young sumo wrestler in a serene, almost ceremonial frontal pose. Isolated against a deep, dark background, the body takes on a sculptural presence, accentuated by the white of the mawashi and the direct lighting. Around the protagonist, other partially visible bodies appear, creating a composition in which the individual and the collective coexist with particular intensity.
Far from depicting sumo through the spectacle of combat, Fréger is interested in the body as a symbol of belonging, discipline, and training. The apparent simplicity of the scene thus focuses all attention on the posture, attire, and presence of the subject. The result possesses a documentary quality, but also a marked formal and theatrical construction.
The work is part of *Rikishi*, one of Fréger’s first major projects, carried out in Japan between 2002 and 2003. Over the course of five trips, the photographer immersed himself in sumo schools and clubs in Tokyo and other prefectures to gain insight into their codes, rituals, and ways of life. He photographed children, teenagers, and adults, deliberately avoiding turning the wrestler’s body into a spectacle. This series is part of the exploration that defines much of Fréger’s career: portraying communities through their uniforms, rituals, and codes of collective identity. *Rikishi* was also published as a book by POC éditions in 2004.
Charles Fréger trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Rouen. His work has been exhibited internationally at institutions such as the Musée d’histoire de Nantes, the Musée des Confluences in Lyon, the Musée de Grenoble, the Musée de Bretagne, the Fotomuseum Antwerpen, the Kunsthalle Erfurt, and at the Rencontres d’Arles, among others. His work is part of public collections such as those of the Musée de Bretagne – Les Champs Libres, and is also included in the collections and projects of institutions such as the Musée des Confluences and the Musée Alsacien in Strasbourg. In 2025, Fréger also created the only permanent work commissioned specifically for the Musée de la Mode et du Costume de Fragonard in Arles.