Julien Jourdes, born in Toulouse, France, is a photo editor, photographer, video artist, and painter. After earning his baccaauréat, Julien moved to Paris to study cinema and photography at L’ Ecole Nationale Supérieure Louis Lumière, where he earned his diploma of engineer in 1997. He then worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as exhibition and graphic designer at the Centre Culturel Français in Libreville, Gabon. In 1999, Julien came to New York, where he was accepted in the International Center of Photography (ICP) documentary program, under the direction of Joan Liftin. While at ICP, he studied with Helen Levitt, Charles Harbutt, and Allen Frame, among others. He then worked as assistant photo editor at LIFE Magazine, then international photo editor at Newsweek, where for three years he covered such conflicts as the second Intifada, the fall of Milosevic, 9/11, and the war in Afghanistan. In 2003, Julien covered the war in Iraq as Editorial Director of Magnum Paris, working directly with such photographers as Luc Delahayes, Abbas, Thomas Dworzak, Paolo Pellegrin, and Alex Majoli.

Julien also works as a freelance photographer and his photos have been published in Newsweek, Newsweek Japan (cover), New York Times (Dining Out, Arts and Leisure, Style), and Scientific American. He was video designer for Christophe Agou’s subway documentary installation to be shown at PS1, as well as video artist for ExPgirl’s production of Waving Hello at HERE Arts Center in Soho, NY, a contemporary performance venue. His video piece Evolution, edited entirely out of surfing footage, was selected for exhibit in City Without Walls / New Jersey State Council on the Arts in Newark, NJ. He is currently working on a video documentary on Puerto Rican war veterans with writer and scholar Moncho López. Julien is co-founder and president of FOVEA, a non-profit photo publishing company dedicated to raising awareness of forgotten conflicts around the world through publication as well as site-specific photo exhibits.

As a painter, Julien has exhibited in Hogar Collection, Clemente Soto Velez, King Juan Carlos I Center, among others. He is represented by Viota Gallery in Puerto Rico.
Julien is married and has one daughter. He divides his time between his wife’s native Puerto Rico and Brooklyn, NY.