Max Vadukul

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Max Vadukul (Born 2 February 1961, Nairobi, Kenya) is a self-taught British photographer. Celebrated for his surreal, quirky style, Vadukul's photography captures images with a raw elegance in the realm of fashion, music, advertising and portraiture.

[edit] Photography career

As a child, Vadukul experienced unique expeditions across Africa capturing wild safari on camera with his father, a keen amateur photographer, which fuelled his fascination for photography.

In 1969 Vadukul was uprooted from his native soil and moved to London, England. Feeling dislocated and in the midst of a culture shock Vadukul embraced the camera and found a haven and sense of familiarity in photography. Driven by a passion to succeed, Vadukul, at age 22, left home and advanced to the fashion capital of the world- Paris. It was here that he was discovered by Yohji Yamamoto in 1984 and began a collaboration that would change the face of fashion. As an artist using photography, Vadukul set out to reform the rigid structure of fashion publications deeming fashion as an area of innovation in photography. He produced satirical and wacky imagery influenced largely by cartoons, silent movies and British media, and had a flair for stimulating an emotion in his subject which possessed a distinctive Vadukul signature.

Revolutionary fashion journalists such as Franca Sozzani of Italian Vogue embraced this ‘Anti-Fashion’ style and commissioned Vadukul’s editorial voice by shooting for benchmark magazines such as Per Lui, Egoiste and Lei. His provocative and avant-garde work led to partnerships with Chloe, Emanuel Ungaro, Armani, Comme Des Garcons, Max Mara and Romeo Gigli. Moreover, he was an active contributor to the emerging supermodel phenomenon and his dynamic work caught the eye of musical legends such as Paul McCartney and Sting whose first iconic solo album The Dream of the Blue Turtles was shot in 1985 by Vadukul.

In 1995, a decision to move to New York City took Max’s career to pioneering heights, shooting for magazines such as Rolling Stone, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, Italian Vogue, Vanity Fair, and L’Uomo Vogue. The prestigious New Yorker Magazine offered Vadukul a three-year contract - it was only the second contract given to a photographer after Richard Avedon in the magazines 100-year history. This marked a transitional point for the photographer, transcending barriers from fashion to feature and journalistic photography. Vadukul captured the essence of extraordinary figures that shaped history such as Mother Teresa, Salman Rushdie, Yves Saint Laurent, Mick Jagger and Mayor Giuliani.

Vadukul’s images radiate his exuberance and he continues to work with a dedicated and ardent vigor. He currently resides in New York City with his wife and two children where he remains at the forefront of fashion and has shaken up the music world with his stunning images of Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Keith Urban, and Janet Jackson. Photography is clearly an unquestionable passion but what makes Max Vadukul truly three- dimensional is his fervor towards current social, environmental and cultural issues. The outlet of creativity is directed towards numerous causes and talents such as drumming, producing a new photography publication and fine art. As an advocate towards green peace and anti-drugs campaigns his energy is focused upon helping to improve the current conditions of society.