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Biography
Mario Testino (b. 1954, Lima, Peru) is a photographer whose work spans portraiture, fashion, and cultural heritage. Over a career of more than four decades, he has explored themes of identity, tradition, and self-expression, creating images that capture both the intimate and the iconic.
Testino first gained recognition in the 1990s for his editorial and advertising work, collaborating with Vogue, Vanity Fair, and brands including Gucci, Chanel, and Burberry. His portraits of cultural figures - most notably Diana, Princess of Wales - defined an era of celebrity and fashion photography, known for their immediacy and energy.
Magazine Covers
Scarlett Johansson, American Vogue,
May 2012
Kristen Stewart, American Vogue,
February 2011
Blake Lively, American Vogue, June 2010
Taylor Swift, American Vogue,
February 2012
Gisele Bundchen, Vanity Fair, September 2007
Rihanna & Kate Moss, V Magazine, March 2013
Jude Law, V Magazine, September 1999
Claudia Schiffer, German Vogue, June 2008
British Vogue, January 2002
Kate Moss, Vogue Brazil, May 2011
Lara Stone & Kate Moss, Love Magazine, January 2012
Brad Pitt, GQ Magazine, June 2005
His work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at major institutions, including the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Shanghai Art Museum and The National Portrait Gallery, London, where his ‘Portraits’ exhibition in 2002 became the museum’s most visited exhibition in the museum’s history at the time. The show cemented his reputation as a photographer whose images extend beyond fashion.
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In recent years, Testino’s focus has shifted towards ‘A Beautiful World’, an ongoing project that documents global traditions through dress, ritual, and community. The project has taken him to more than thirty countries, capturing the ways in which heritage is preserved and reinterpreted in contemporary life. ‘A Beautiful World’ has been exhibited at Palazzo Bonaparte, Rome.
Testino’s work has been widely published, with over twenty books showcasing his iconic imagery, including ‘Portraits’, ‘Alta Moda’, ‘Let Me In’ and ‘Ciao’. He also founded ‘MATE – Museo Mario Testino’ (2012–2020), a non-profit cultural institution in Lima that he opened to champion Peruvian heritage and contemporary art on a global stage.
He has been recognized around the world for his contributions to photography and cultural advocacy with honours including the Order of the British Empire (2013), the Légion d’Honneur (2017), and the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit for Distinguished Service in Peru (2010).
Click here for the CV of Mario Testino, June 2024
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