David LaChapelle

Known for their complex and often provoking compositions, the pop hyper-realistic photographs of David LaChapelle highlight the American photographer’s vision of contemporary culture and consumerism — a theme that he adapts and renews throughout his career. LaChapelle’s work spans fashion, fine art and celebrity portraiture, combining elements of Surrealism and Pop art with his signature humorous style.

Born in 1963 in Hartford, Connecticut, LaChapelle studied at the North Carolina School of the Arts and later at the Art Students League and the School of Visual Arts in New York City. LaChapelle started out working at Interview magazine, launched by Andy Warhol. This first experience subsequently opened other doors for him at Vogue, Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone, where the photographer produced portraits of Lance Armstrong, Uma Thurman, Kanye West and Hilary Clinton.

Over his prolific career, LaChapelle has shot many of fashion and pop culture’s most recognisable faces, including Madonna, David Bowie, Angelina Jolie, Amanda Lepore, Naomi Campbell and Alexander McQueen — often pushing the boundaries of conventional beauty and glamour photography.

In 2006, he decided to quit commercial production in order to concentrate on his artistic work. Some of his most famous works include his reinterpretations of classic religious scenes and iconography found in Italian Renaissance paintings. Works like Courtney Love: Pieta (2006) and The Last Supper (from the series ‘Jesus is my Homeboy’) (2003) showcase LaChapelle’s ability to juxtapose the sacred and the profane, the beautiful and the grotesque, creating images that are as thought-provoking as they are visually captivating.

LaChapelle has exhibited widely in New York, London, Tel Aviv, Paris and Washington, D.C. In 2022 Fotografiska New York staged the photographer’s first major museum solo exhibition in North America and the museum’s first building-wide show, titled David LaChapelle: make Believe.

Beyond his photography, LaChapelle has also directed music videos for artists like Mariah Carey, Elton John, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani and more. His work continues to evolve, reflecting his ongoing fascination with the intersection of art and commercialism.