Scarlett Coten studied photography at l'ENSP in Arles, after which she contributed in both national and international press.
In 2000 Scarlett traveled to Egypt to realize her first feature documentary, spending three years through the Sinai desert with the Bedouins. This series was published in 2009 in her first book, Still alive.
She has since focused her practice predominantly on long-term projects. Her fascination of Arab culture over the past decade has formed the main theme throughout her photography.
Between 2009 and 2011, her involvement in Arabic territories brought her to focus on a Morocco in the midst of transformation. With "Maroc Evolution", she has chronicled a small seaside resort, and created an intimate visuel diary about the evolution of the new generation divided between powerful traditions and a desire for emancipation.
Since 2012 , in her long-term project "Mectoub", Scarlett takes a closer look at young men from Arab countries and particularly the urban generation. It is Coten’s aim to meet and document these young men, generally stereotyped as male chauvinists or even terrorists, outside of the tumult and despair of the front lines, challenging the way mainstream media views them. Carrying the exoticness of outsider, Coten seemed to make it easier for the men to express themselves without inhibitions. The artist documents her subjects as they really are, avoiding clichés and challenging the stereotypes so prevalent in photographs of the region. By capturing these men in an intimate context where they are able to express themselves freely, allows her subjects to engage in what could basically be considered a rebellious act. It takes courage for these men to expose themselves to a stranger’s camera, when living in a country where individual freedoms still exist almost entirely behind closed doors. The results are an intimate collection of images that succeed in opening up limited viewpoints of how Arab men are portrayed.
Coten's work is represented by East Wing Gallery (Doha/Dubai), Mariane Ibrahim Gallery (Seattle) and Gallery 127 (Marrakech)