Joel hails from Reunion Island off the east coast of Africa near Madagascar. His inaugural participation at the Nude Photo Festival at Corbier in France was a success and his work was being spoken of as akin to the Indian Ocean's Sun, his photos being colour rather than the more traditional black and white. He wanted to enhance the beauty of ethnic mix.

He introduced his photos of the Artistic Nude to the local public in Reunion Island by means of his first major exhibition at Stella Matutina in 2004. The exhibition received more than 600 visitors and was a media success. Numerous other exhibitions followed. He featured on the cover of the December 2005 special edition of "Pictures" devoted to the masters of Nude Photography, together with Douglas Kirkland who photographed Marilyn Monroe nude.

He presented women's portraits of Reunion on the occasion of Women's Day, March 8, 2007. He was invited to present the Beauty of Réunionese metissage at the Durban Film Festival in South Africa, and as a curtain raiser to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in May 2007.

The exhibition "Une histoire des Femmes" took place1^st of December 2007 at La Possession with a performance of selected dances choreographed by Mme Yun Chane, the creator of the first contemporary dance company on Réunion island. This same exhibition travelled to Johannesburg South Africa.