Wikipedia

Draft:Benjamin Kanarek

  • Comment: The name-dropping is intense. A randomly chosen sample: In 2005, Kanarek was invited to the 3rd Festival international de la photographie de mode in Cannes, which brought together around fifty photographers. The guests of honour were Hans Feurer and Jean-Daniel Lorieux. Why name the "guests of honour"? His series Chambres d’Hôtel was exhibited at the event, supported by Canon, Why say that it was supported by Canon? as reported in Photo. "[A]s reported in Photo" is unnecessary: this information is anyway within the reference. The same issue also included a dedicated two-page spread on Kanarek, recalling that he had been the first photographer to shoot top model Kim Alexis Why say that she was (is?) a "top model"? for a cover of Chatelaine (Canada) and mentioning his Swarovski advertising campaign produced with Saatchi & Saatchi. Why does the reader need to be told of mere mentions? -- Hoary (talk) 01:10, 1 September 2025 (UTC)

Benjamin Kanarek is a Canadian-born fashion and celebrity photographer and director based in Paris, France. His editorial and advertising work has been featured in international publications, notably Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and ELLE, as well as Fashion (Canada), Madame Figaro and L’Officiel de la Couture et de la Mode de Paris. His photographs have been exhibited internationally, published in official fashion books and acquired by the Musée Rodin in Paris.

Early life and early career

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Benjamin Kanarek was born in Toronto, Canada. A former architect,[1] he graduated in architecture from Carleton University (Ottawa).[2] He also played drums in Canadian rock bands, including Existers and The Poles.[2] He later turned to photography almost by accident, after which he developed a strong interest in lighting and technique.[1]

The earliest documented international publication of his work is an advertising photograph for Norma published in the August 1983 issue of American Vogue.[3]

In 1989, French magazine Création profiled him in its article "Dix photographes parmi ceux qui attendent la relève", written by Christian Pouligo. The piece noted that he had worked in Los Angeles, New York, Milan and Paris, contributing to Vogue Paris, L’Officiel de la Couture et de la Mode de Paris, Madame Figaro, Votre Beauté and Globe.[4]

That same year, he was invited to the 20th anniversary of the Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie in Arles, where he exhibited alongside Jean-Baptiste Mondino, Stéphane Sednaoui, Nick Knight, Max Vadukul and Javier Vallhonrat.[5]

According to the Delicatessen exhibition catalogue (La Santa Cultura Visual, Barcelona, 2006), while based in New York Kanarek produced advertising campaigns, including the Dayton Hudson Christmas Book, featuring Andie MacDowell and Elle Macpherson, before establishing himself in Paris and contributing to L’Officiel de la Couture et de la Mode de Paris.[6]

Career highlights

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Kanarek’s work has been featured in international publications, notably Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar[7] and ELLE, as well as Fashion (Canada), Madame Figaro, Sorbet and L’Officiel de la Couture et de la Mode de Paris.[8][2][4]

He has photographed numerous models and actresses, including Kim Alexis, Brooke Shields, Helena Christensen, Elle Macpherson, Andie MacDowell and the Taiwanese actress Gwei Lun-Mei.[2][8]

In 2005, Kanarek was invited to the 3rd Festival international de la photographie de mode in Cannes, which brought together around fifty photographers. The guests of honour were Hans Feurer and Jean-Daniel Lorieux. His series Chambres d’Hôtel was exhibited at the event, supported by Canon, as reported in Photo.[9] The same issue also included a dedicated two-page spread on Kanarek, recalling that he had been the first photographer to shoot top model Kim Alexis for a cover of Chatelaine (Canada) and mentioning his Swarovski advertising campaign produced with Saatchi & Saatchi.[9]

In 2012, Fashion (Canada) featured a 13-page haute couture story by Kanarek (“A Canadian in Paris”), photographed at the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris.[10] Editor-in-chief Bernadette Morra presented the feature as the centrepiece of the magazine’s 35th anniversary issue, showcasing haute couture through the work of expatriate photographer Benjamin Kanarek and Ottawa model Amanda Nimmo.[11] The same issue also included a report by journalist Amy Verner, who documented the shoot on set and described Kanarek’s approach to haute couture photography as relying on speed and on-the-spot improvisation.[12] The opening spread from this series, featuring a Jean Paul Gaultier design, was later selected for inclusion in the official book of the 2015 retrospective Jean Paul Gaultier au Grand Palais, accompanying the exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris.[13]

In 2018, Sorbet (The Unapologetic Issue, no. 19, Spring 2018) introduced Kanarek as a photographer of couture pieces and models, characterizing his subjects as among fashion’s finest faces. The same issue also included an 18-page haute couture editorial titled “Blonde Bombshell,” shot at the Hôtel Raphaël in Paris, presenting the Spring–Summer 2018 collections with a contemporary perspective.[14]

In 2019, Vogue China featured Kanarek’s series “The Beauty and the Body,” photographed at the Musée Rodin in Paris, juxtaposing contemporary fashion with Auguste Rodin’s sculptures.[15] In 2020, two images from this series were acquired for the museum’s permanent collection.[16][17]

In 2023, ELLE Decor Korea – The Makers (Book Edition) featured his black-and-white analogue project “The Man on the Street – Montmartre Portrait Project,” an eight-page portfolio of Parisian residents.[18]

Style and reception

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In Création (1989), journalist Norbert Bellaiche described a new photographic trend defined by paradoxical qualities—muted yet saturated, pastel yet vivid, blurred yet sharp—and cited Kanarek’s advertising campaign for Le Bon Marché (by agency RSCG) as an illustration of this style.[19]

In another article from the same issue, journalist Philippe Chaudré emphasized Kanarek’s belief that photography balances technique and spontaneity. Chaudré reported Kanarek’s view that photography is “the most telepathic art form,” where time can matter as much as light, and where rigid planning (such as detailed mock-ups) risks undermining spontaneity. For Kanarek, mastering technique allows room for playfulness and improvisation.[20]

In 2005, journalist Agnès Grégoire in Photo described him as a “maître de la lumière” (“master of light”), highlighting his elaborate yet cinematic use of lighting.[21] The same year, Michel Dessaux profiled him in Photo under the title "La technique de la photo de mode par Benjamin Kanarek". The article detailed how Kanarek, originally an architect, developed a fascination for lighting after turning to photography, noting his meticulous balancing of light and describing him as one of the few photographers to have copyrighted his lighting setups since 1987.[1]

Exhibitions

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  • 1989 — Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie d’Arles (20th anniversary), alongside Jean-Baptiste Mondino, Stéphane Sednaoui, Nick Knight, Max Vadukul and Javier Vallhonrat.[5]
  • 2005–2006 — Festival International de la Photographie de Mode (Cannes); Kanarek’s Chambres d’Hôtel exhibited in 2005 (supported by Canon), with further participation in 2006.[9][22]
  • 2006 — La Santa Cultura Visual – Delicatessen (Barcelona), Anti-Fashion System exhibition.[6]
  • 2021 — A Bird’s-Eye View of Fashion Photography: From Behind the Camera (Port Washington Public Library, New York), a Hearst-organized two-part show featuring 37 photographers from 16 countries, including Erwin Blumenfeld, Alexi Lubomirski and Chen Man.[23]

Books

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  • 2015 — Jean Paul Gaultier au Grand Palais — official book published by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in co-edition with the Réunion des musées nationaux – Grand Palais, for the 2015 retrospective at the Grand Palais in Paris; includes a double-page spread of Kanarek’s haute couture photograph originally shot for Fashion (Canada, 2012).[13]
  • 2023 — ELLE Decor Korea – The Makers (Book Edition) — featured eight black-and-white analogue portraits from Kanarek’s Montmartre Portrait Project (pp. 226–233).[18]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Michel Dessaux, "La technique de la photo de mode par Benjamin Kanarek", Photo, no. 421, July–Aug. 2005, pp. 90–91. ISSN 0399-7383.
  2. ^ a b c d ELLE Hong Kong, no. 343, 2008, p. 46. ISSN 1683-7456.
  3. ^ Vogue (US edition), August 1983, p. 210. ISSN 0042-8000.
  4. ^ a b Christian Pouligo, "Dix photographes parmi ceux qui attendent la relève", Création, no. 89, July–Aug. 1989, pp. 48–51 (Kanarek featured pp. 48–49). ISSN 0765-9911.
  5. ^ a b Rencontres d’Arles, 1989 (archived at WikiWix)
  6. ^ a b Delicatessen, La Santa Cultura Visual, no. 1, Barcelona, 2006, pp. 76–85.
  7. ^ Fashion (Canada), Nov. 2012, p. 44. ISSN 1481-8926.
  8. ^ a b Vogue Portugal, April 2012, p. 112.
  9. ^ a b c Photo, no. 421, July–Aug. 2005, pp. 86–87. ISSN 0399-7383.
  10. ^ Fashion (Canada), Nov. 2012, pp. 203–215. ISSN 1481-8926.
  11. ^ Fashion (Canada), Nov. 2012, Editor’s Letter, p. 42. ISSN 1481-8926.
  12. ^ Amy Verner, “Frill Seeker,” Fashion (Canada), Nov. 2012, pp. 94–95. ISSN 1481-8926.
  13. ^ a b Jean Paul Gaultier au Grand Palais, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts / Réunion des musées nationaux – Grand Palais, 2015, pp. 112–113. ISBN 978-2-89192-380-4.
  14. ^ Sorbet, The Unapologetic Issue, no. 19, Spring 2018, p. 32; and 18-page editorial later in the same issue. ISSN 2307-1567.
  15. ^ Vogue China, Aug. 2019, pp. 188–197. ISSN 1672-7719.
  16. ^ "Vita Mir et le Torse de la muse Whistler nue (plâtre)". Musée Rodin (archived). Archived from the original on 29 August 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  17. ^ "Vita Mir, Niobé et Ève au rocher (marbres)". Musée Rodin (archived). Archived from the original on 20 August 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  18. ^ a b ELLE Decor Korea – The Makers (Book Edition), 2023, pp. 226–233.
  19. ^ Norbert Bellaiche, "La photo pub: la dictature des modes", Création, no. 89, July–Aug. 1989, pp. 45–46. ISSN 0765-9911.
  20. ^ Philippe Chaudré, "Technique, la tendance, l’intendance aussi", Création, no. 89, July–Aug. 1989, pp. 72–75 (Kanarek featured pp. 74–75). ISSN 0765-9911.
  21. ^ Agnès Grégoire, "Maître de la lumière", Photo, no. 422, Sept. 2005, p. 22. ISSN 0399-7383.
  22. ^ Photo, no. 431, July–Aug. 2006, p. 75. ISSN 0399-7383.
  23. ^ "A Bird's-Eye View of Fashion Photography From Behind the Camera". Women’s Wear Daily (archived). 20 May 2021. Archived from the original on 29 August 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

References

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