Max Vadukul

Max Vadukul was born in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1961, to Indian parents who were part of the early twentieth-century Gujarati diaspora that had settled in what was then British East Africa. Amidst the upheaval following Kenya’s independence, he moved to England at the age of nine, where he was raised in a working-class borough in North London. During his grammar school years, Vadukul discovered an idle camera in his home, left by his father who worked for Zeiss, the German lens maker. From that moment, his ambition to become a photographer was born.

At the age of 22, Vadukul was discovered by designer Yohji Yamamoto, who hired him for several prestigious ad campaigns. This was during the era when magazines had the power to launch careers, and Vadukul, who was self-taught, now found himself among the ranks of legendary photographers he had revered growing up. His work was frequently featured in French and Italian Vogue, alongside the likes of David Bailey, Paolo Roversi, Deborah Turbeville, Barry Lategan, and Helmut Newton.

Vadukul’s portfolio, which spans 39 years, also includes significant creative chapters with Vogue Paris, Rolling Stone, Esquire, Égoïste, W, Town & Country, and The New Yorker. In 1996, he replaced Richard Avedon to become only the second staff photographer in the history of The New Yorker.

Vadukul’s signature black-and-white portraiture style, blending kinetic spontaneity with masterful craftsmanship, has been widely recognized for its originality and iconic power. In 2000, he published the acclaimed book, Max: Photographs by Max Vadukul.
His artworks have been showcased in solo and group shows all over the world.

Submitted by Ira Stehmann Fine Art