Photographer Kevin Mackintosh was born in South Africa in 1962 but divides his time between London, Paris and Cape Town. Beginning his life as a photojournalist on newspapers in Johannesburg, he soon gravitated to fashion: “There was something about the controlled image that fascinated me.” Theatre and European cinema were also a huge interest, and the idea that a photograph could be controlled in a frame, fascinated him. Rather than follow a photojournalistic route where imagery is made up, pretty much in an instant, the crafting became the quintessence of the imagery. Sets, colour, casting and lighting all contribute to this vision and have become the signature of his work.

While his work expresses a personal universe that combines an interest in European cinema, theatre and art, there is something about the expansiveness of his native country’s landscape and its diverse cultures that has left indelible imprints. Notable too is how the ancient mysticism of Africa fuses seamlessly with his own legacy of European fables: his effortless grasp of surrealism with contemporary magical realism and his strangely unquiet magpie interiors of memories lost and found. They all form part of Kevin’s universe – a meeting of still life, fashion, and theatre. These facets are evident, equally, in the sense of nostalgia for a glorious – real or imagined – mythology so evident in his collaborations with the Bolshoi, Royal Opera and Royal Ballet companies, shooting film and stills.

He has also completed a series on the New York Philharmonic and collaborated with Christie’s in their first worldwide advertising campaign. Portrait work has included a series on Dame Vivienne Westwood shot at the V&A in London, artist William Kentridge for Vogue Italia, ballet soloists Edward Watson, Marianela Núñez and Tamara Rojo, and actors Idris Elba, Keira Knightley and Riz Ahmed.

His work has been exhibited across the world, both in solo and group exhibitions, and published in numerous magazines, photographic journals and books. Public collections include the National Portrait Gallery in London.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2020
'Hero', Deepest Darkest Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

2006
'Dancers on Glass Horses', 34 Long, Cape Town, South Africa

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2024
EXPO CHICAGO, Chicago, United States of America

2023
'Affinities', Secret Gallery, Paris, France
PAD London, Secret Gallery, London, UK

2020
'Home Is Where The Art Is', Zeitz Mocaa, Cape Town, South Africa

COLLECTIONS

National Portrait Gallery, London

COMMISSIONS

2017
New York Philharmonic, New York
The English National Ballet, London
The first Christie's worldwide campaign featuring artists and their work from around the world

2016
Royal Opera and Ballet, London