Kenneth Willardt

Life and work

Willardt grew up in Espergaerde, Denmark, near Copenhagen. He studied at the Danish School of Photography in Copenhagen and apprenticed under photographer Torsten Graae. He moved to New York City in 1987 where he has worked on beauty and fashion-focused editorials and campaigns.

He has worked for Christian Dior, Nivea, L'Oréal, Pantene, Target and Marco Bicego jewelry.

He has done editorial work for W Magazine, Vanity Fair (U.S and Italian), Allure, GQ, InStyle, the British and U.S. editions of Glamour, the Brazilian, Chinese, Japanese, German and Spanish editions of Vogue, A-Anna Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, and Seventeen. Willardt has done a television campaigns for Maybelline, and their 2009 "Maybelline Loves New York" and 2010 calendars.

Willardt has shot portraits and editorials for Lady Gaga, Amy Adams, Drew Barrymore, Selma Blair, Carmen Electra, America Ferrera, Teri Hatcher, Katherine Heigl, Milla Jovovich, Keira Knightley, Beyoncé Knowles, Lindsay Lohan, Eva Longoria, Sarah Jessica Parker, Rihanna, Jessica Simpson, Liv Tyler, Julianne Moore, Christian Slater, Gerard Butler, Mia Goth and Carrie Underwood.

For Willardt's 2013 exhibition Size Does Matter, Plus-size model Robyn Lawley was photographed nude with various animals, including rabbits, an owl, an octopus and tarantulas. Each image in the exhibit had a QR code. When the QR code was scanned with a cell phone, added movement in the image was visible on the cell phone screen. In addition to the images in the gallery, a billboard with Lawley flanked by bunnies was placed on the West Side Highway in Manhattan.

Awards

Exhibitions

Publications

ISBN 978-3-8327-9879-6

Library of Congress Number: 2014943584