Nick Knight is among the world’s most influential and visionary
photographers. He has worked on a range of often controversial issues
during his career - from racism, disability, ageism, and more recently
fat-ism. He continually challenges conventional ideals of beauty.
Born
in London in 1958, Knight studied photography at Bournemouth &
Poole College of Art and Design. He graduated with a distinction in
1982. In 1985 his first book, Skinheads, won him the Designers and Art
Directors Award for Best Book Cover. Yohji Yamamoto’s art director Marc
Ascoli commissioned Knight for 12 successive catalogues in the late
Eighties - at a time when Yamamoto campaigns were breaking new ground.
Knight made fashion history in November 1993 by adapting ring-flash
photography to capture Linda Evangelista for a landmark, post-grunge
cover of British Vogue. Since then, his work has graced no fewer than 36
covers. He has shot advertising campaigns for Jil Sander, Louis
Vuitton, Calvin Klein, Yves Saint Laurent, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander
McQueen and Christian Dior to name a few. He has also shot record covers
for David Bowie, Paul Weller, George Michael and Massive Attack.
Knight’s
work has been exhibited at institutions such as the Victoria &
Albert Museum, Saatchi Gallery, The Photographers’ Gallery, the Hayward
Gallery and recently the Tate Modern. He has produced a permanent
installation, Plant Power, for the Natural History Museum in London. He
was awarded the prestigious Moet Chandon Fashion Tribute for 2006. In
2010, he received an medal as Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the
British Empire in recognition of the contribution he has made to the
arts over his illustrious career. Knight has also turned his hand to
directing music videos - Pagean Poetry by Björk in 2001 being his first
and, most recently, Kanye West’s Bound 2. He directed the video for Lady
Gaga’s hit single Born This Way in 2011. Both the song and the video
aimed to empower and show solidarity within minority groups, a common
theme in Knight’s work.
Education
1982
College Diploma in Design, (Photography), Bournemouth & Poole College of Art & Design, Great Britain
1998
Honorary Fellowship from Bournemouth & Poole College of Art and Design, Great Britain
Selected solo and group exhibitions
2022
"Beyond Fashion" FEP, ALT.1, Hyundai Seoul, South Korea
"Roses from my Garden" Musée de la Photographie, Charles Nègre, Biennale des Arts de Nice, Nice, France
"Master of Photography, Nick Knight ‘May, 2022’ " Photo London, Somerset House, London, Great Britain
"Wild & Cultivated: Fashioning The Rose" The Garden Museum, London, Great Britain
2021
"Roses, Part II" Old Coach House, Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire, Great Britain
"Unearthed: Photography’s Roots" Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, Great Britain
"E/MOTION: Fashion in Transition" MOMU, Antwerp, Belgium
"Kimono: From Kyoto to Catwalk" Varldskultur Museet, Gothenborg, Sweden
"Beyond Fashion" FEP, Xie Zilong Photography Museum, Changsa, China
2020
"Roses" Old Coach House, Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire, Great Britain
"Kimono: From Kyoto to Catwalk" V&A Museum, London, Great Britain
"Beyond Fashion" FEP, Shanghai Center of Photography, Shanghai, China
2019
"Roses" Albion Barn, Oxfordshire, Great Britain
"BLINK" Organised by SightSavers; OXO Tower Wharf, London, Great Britain
"Christian Dior; Designer of Dreams" V&A Museum, London, Great Britain
"North: Fashioning Identity" Organised by Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool; The Civic, Barnsley, Great Britain
"Reality Inverse" Serpentine Galleries, London, Great Britain
"Beyond Fashion" FEP, ArtisTree, Hong Kong, China
"Gender Bending Fashion" Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA
"Dior: From Paris to the World" Dallas Museum of Art, Texas, USA
"Body Beautiful: Diversity on the Catwalk" National Museum Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland
2018
"Still" The Mass, Tokyo, Japan
"Vogue Like a Painting" Kunstforeningen GL STRAND, Copenhagen, Denmark
"Mystic Detectives" Samek Art Museum, Pennsylvania, USA
"If so, what?" Carrie Scott & Partners, Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco, USA
2017
"Celibatair Divas" Herkenrode Refuge, Belgium
"Vogue Like a Painting" Hangaram Art Museum, Seoul, South Korea
"Christian Dior, couturier du rêve" Musée des Arts décoratifs, Paris, France
2016
„Nick Knight" Christophe Guye Galerie; Zürich, Switzerland
„Nick Knight: Image“ Daelim Museum, Seoul, South Korea
„History of Photography: The Body“ Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Great Britain
„#techstyle“ The Museum of Fine Art, Boston, United States of America
„Vogue 100" National Portrait Gallery, London, Great Britain
2015
„Nick Knight" Christophe Guye Galerie Booth; Paris Photo, Paris, France
„Vogue Like a Painting" Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, Spain
„Killer Heels" Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Great Britain
„Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Great Britain
„Nick Knight & Alexander McQueen" SHOWstudio Shop, London, Great Britain
2014
„Killer Heels" Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn New York, United States
„Photographs I Like: Darren Bader" Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York, United States
2012
„Flora" SHOWstudio Shop; London, Great Britain
„Death" SHOWstudio Shop; London, Great Britain
„Icons of Tomorrow – Contemporary Fashion Photography" Christophe Guye Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland
„Great Photographs: Scape" Hasted Kraeutler, New York, United States
2011
„Vanity" Kunsthalle Vienna, Austria
2009
„Fashion Revolution" Somerset House, London, Great Britain
2006
„Archeology of Elegance" Deichtorhallen Museum, Hamburg, Germany
„Talking to Myself, Yohji Yamamoto" La Masion Européenne de la Photographie, Paris, France
2001
„Century City" Tate Modern, London, Great Britain
2000
„CUT" (Exhibition By The Hairdresser Barnabee) Musee De La Mode, Paris, France
„Celebrating 100 Years of Photo District News" New York, United States
„Impossible Image" Phaidon Press Exhibition, Japan
„La Beaute" Exhibition For EN2000, Avignon, France
„Facing The Future" Touring Exhibition to Celebrate 20 Years of The Face Magazine
„Das Fernglas" The Deutsche Hygiene Museum, Dresden, Germany
„Nadja" Exhibition Celebrating Nadja Auermann, Germany
„Imperfect Beauty" Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Great Britain
„Revolver" MTV Music Awards Exhibition, Stockholm, Sweden
„Nurture and Desire" Hayward Gallery, London, Great Britain
1998
„Look at me – Fashion Photography 1965 to Present" British Council Traveling Exhibition
powerhause::uk; Department of Trade and Industry
„The Oriental Curiosity – 21st Century Chinoiserie" Traveling exhibition, (London, Paris, Hong Kong)
„Shoreditch Biennale" London, Great Britain
„Handy Shorts" Lux Cinema, London, Great Britain
„The first 25" (retrospective exhibition of images from Visionaire magazine); Colette, Paris, France
„Addressing the Century: 100 Years of Art and Fashion" Hayward Gallery, London, Great Britain
„Taboo; Creative Review" London, Great Britain
„No Sex Please we’re British" Dazed & Confused, and Shiseido Co Ltd, Japan
„Yves Saint Laurent – 40 Years of Creation" New York, and Tokyo
„Silver & Syrup" Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Great Britain
„H20" Kobe Fashion Museum, Japan
1997
„Contemporary Fashion Photography“ Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Great Britain
„JAM“ Barbican Gallery, London, Great Britain
„Little
Boxes“ (to accompany the launch of Michael Mack’s book, „Surface -
Contemporary. Photographic Practice“); Traveling exhibition curated
by Michael Mack
1996
„Art/Fashion“ (with Alexander McQueen); Biennale di Firenze, Italy
1994
„A Positive View“ Saatchi Gallery, London, Great Britain
1993
„Vanities Exhibition“ Paris, France
„Plant Power“ (permanent exhibit); Natural History Museum, London, Great Britain
1992
„Festival De La Photo De Mode Exhibition“ Monaco
1991
„Festival De La Photo De Mode Exhibition“ Barcelona, Spain
1989
„Out of Fashion“ Photographers Gallery, London, Great Britain
„Ils Annoncent La Colour“ at the Les Rencontres D’Arles Group Exhibition; Holly
„Solomon Gallery“ New York, United States
1986
„20 For Today“ National Portrait Gallery, London, Great Britain
„14-21 Youth Culture Exhibition“ Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Great Britain
1982
„Group Exhibition 1982“ Photographers Gallery, London, Great Britain
Awards
2009
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2010 Royal Birthday Honours
2006
Moët et Chandon Fashion Tribute.
2001
„Most Inspirational Photographer“ & „Most Admired Person in the Creative Industries“ in the Ultimate League
Table, 2001 - Creative Review
Terence Donovan Award for Major Achievement in the Previous Year by a British
Photographer in the field of Commercial, Advertising or Editorial work. – Royal Photographic Society
2000
Silver Medal for Mercedes CL Coupe print advertisements. - New York Festival
Gold Medal for Best Book for Car Literature for Mercedes Coupe. - New York Festival
1999
Best Front Cover of the Year for Dazed & Confused, Sept 98 issue. - Total Publishing Magazine Design Awards
Silver Award for Most Outstanding Music Poster, for Massive Attack, „Mezzanine“ D&AD Award
International Design Magazine (USA) Design Distinction Award for Front Cover of Visionaire 27 Movement
Fashion Photography (series) of the Year 99 for Handicapped in Fashion.
LeadPhotographie.99 - LeadAwards.99, Germany.
1998
The Power of Photography Award
1997
Royal Mail’s Stamp Innovation Award for Photography of 1996 Olympics Stamps
Advertising Women of New York Award for Modern Curves, Vogue, June ’97
Best Photographic Campaign, Levis Red Tab ‘Original Wearers’ D&AD Award
1995
Voted „Most Influential Fashion Photographer in the World“ by Face Magazine
1994
Best Studio Photographer Award - International Festival De La Photo De Mode.
1993
Best Poster for The Natural History Museum, Plant Power - XYZ Design Award.
1992
Best Catalogue Award - International Festival De La Photo De Mode.
1992
Voted by GQ magazine as one of Britain’s Best Dressed Men.
1991
Best Catalogue award for Jil Sander - International Festival De La Photo De Mode.
1989
Award for Best Young British Fashion Photographer - Halina
Best Magazine Fashion Story for Faith, Arena Magazine - Gold Award U.S.A.
1988
Best Luxury Goods Campaign for Christoffle Silverware - Club Des Directors Artistique
1987
Photographer Of The Year - Kodak U.K.
1986
Magazine Publishing Award for the I-D Magazine „Back to School“ Fashion Story
1985
Best Book Cover Award for Skinheads. - Designers & Art Directors (D&AD)
1985
Photographer Of The Year - Kodak U.K.
Publication
2009
NICK KNIGHT; Harper Collins
1997
Flora; Schirmer Mosel, (a series of flower pictures from the Natural History Museum’s herbarium)
1994
Nick Knight; Schirmer Mosel, (a retrospective of work from 1982 to 1994)
1982
Skinheads; Omnibus Press
Collection
Victoria & Albert Museum, London
