Nick Knight
Born: London, England, 1958
Nick Knight was born in England in 1958. He studied at Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design.
His first book of photographs, “skinheads”, was published in 1982. He has since produced “Nicknight”, a 12 year retrospective, and “Flora” a series of flower pictures. Knight’s work has been exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum, at the Saatchi Gallery, at the Photographers Gallery and Hayward Gallery and more recently at The Tate Modern. He has produced a permanent installation called “Plant Power” for the Natural History Museum in London.
In November 2000 Knight founded and launched the website SHOWstudio.com, a project to change the way fashion is perceived on the internet by enabling live streaming of different fashion shows and therefore creating a new link between fashion and new digital mediums. The website has collaborated with many important fashion figures such as model Kate Moss, designers Rick Owens, John Galliano, and Alexander McQueen and the brand Comme des Garçons.
In 2001 he turned to music videos and worked with Björk on “Pagan Poetry”. Ten years later, he worked with Lady Gaga, directing her new single “Born This Way”.
In 2004 he was chosen to work on the Pirelli Calendar. Two years later he was awarded the “Moet Chandon Fashion Tribute” which he then celebrated by throwing a party in Strawberry Hill. He has since worked for high profile magazines such as Vogue Magazine, Dazed & Confused, W Magazine, i-D, and Visionaire, as well as working on advertising campaigns for clients including Christian Dior, Levis, Alexander McQueen, Calvin Klein, Yohji Yamamoto and Yves Saint Laurent.
In recent years, Nick Knight has been involved in various creative projects, showcasing his talents in both photography and directing. He directed music videos for Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” and Kanye West’s “Bound 2” and “Black Skinhead” in 2011 and 2013, respectively. Additionally, he photographed Travis Scott for his album Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight in 2016.
Knight’s exceptional work was recognised when he was commissioned to shoot official portraits of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles for the Queen’s 90th birthday in 2016. His reputation in the art world was further solidified when his hand-coated pigment photograph of supermodel Tatjana Patitz for Jil Sander fetched a record-breaking price at auction.
Continuing his collaborations, in 2019, Knight teamed up with Kanye West again to direct the short film “Jesus Is King,” which accompanied the release of West’s album of the same name. The film showcased West’s Sunday Service in the Roden Crater, an installation by artist James Turrell in the Painted Desert.
In 2021, Knight collaborated with Lady Gaga and Champagne brand Dom Perignon for the campaign “The Queendom,” producing a series of captivating photos and an advertisement. Furthermore, Knight was entrusted with shooting interludes for Lady Gaga’s 2022 Summer Stadium World Tour, adding his unique artistic touch to her visually striking shows.
Having already been honoured as Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), Nick Knight received further recognition for his contributions to fashion and photography when he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2023 Birthday Honours.
Nick Knight Biography
