The book will be signed during ARLES 2026
Péi Brilé – Créole Réunionnais for Burnt Land, referring to the areas on Réunion affected by volcanic lava flows – is a layered and poetic story about the island. The book brings together a range of visual and textual materials.
Péi Brilé reconsiders the myths of Réunion Island through the figure of Robinson, a symbol of survival, humility and self-reliance. Through personal encounters on the island, Maxime Brygo (FR) reflects both on the island’s colonial history and on people currently living in the margins in the hard-to-reach mountains of the center and in the wild south.
Brygo examines what it means to inhabit a place. He focuses on people living outside mainstream society and their relationships, the landscapes, and lived histories. They inhabit ravines, highlands and forests. Their shelters are tents, huts, caves, or makeshift dwellings. They live with few resources and maintain a close relationship with nature.
