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Who is Mario Testino? A Look Into the Peruvian Photographer’s Success
Last week we celebrated World Photography Day, a day to celebrate the art and science of photography. In honor of this day, we will be taking a look at Mario Testino, a Peruvian fashion and portrait photographer who has made a name for himself in the industry.
Mario Eduardo Testino Silva was born on October 30th, 1954, in Lima, Peru, to a traditional Catholic middle class family, before moving to London in 1976. He wanted to be a priest, but he ended up studying law and economics at the Universidad del Pacífico, the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru, and international affairs at the University of California, San Diego.
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However, he later found his passion in photography and began making portfolios for up-and-coming models during the day while working as a waiter at night. During the early nineties, Testino found inspiration in his experience growing up in Peru and spending summers in Brazil as a teenager, which helped him create a unique, personal photographic language.
Testino has become one of the world’s best-known and most celebrated fashion photographers. His work has been featured in magazines such as Vogue, V Magazine, Vanity Fair, GQ, LOVE, Allure, and VMan. He has documented people ranging from A-list stars, musicians, supermodels, and artists, as well as subjects he has encountered throughout his travels. He has also contributed to the success of leading fashion and beauty houses, creating images for brands from Gucci, Burberry, Versace, and Michael Kors to Chanel, Estée Lauder, and Dolce & Gabbana.
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Testino has also worked with the British royal family and was chosen by Princess Diana for her Vanity Fair photoshoot in 1997. Some of his other favorite model clients have been Kate Moss and Gisele Bundchen. Testino’s work has been exhibited in museums around the world, including the Helmut Newton Foundation in Berlin, the Shanghai Art Museum, and the National Portrait Gallery in London. Alongside his 40-year career as a photographer, Testino has also achieved important titles such as creative director, guest editor, museum founder, art collector/collaborator, and entrepreneur.
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Testino possesses an artistic lexicon that has consistently crossed gender boundaries, blending and challenging traditional notions of masculinity and femininity, and indicating a focus on sensuality as opposed to sexuality. The individuals depicted in Testino’s work exude a strong sense of vitality and candidness, and his impromptu, close-up portrayals present a fresh outlook on some of the world’s most well-known faces.
Testino’s Latino heritage has influenced his work in various ways. In 2013, Testino launched a project called “Alta Moda,” which showcased traditional garments from the Cusco region of Peru. Through this project, Testino aimed to leave a legacy to his home country, Peru, while showcasing the wide range of the country’s dress and its meanings. Testino has also spoken about the importance of cultural heritage and how it has influenced his work.
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In an exposition in Argentina, he said: “When I was a kid, Peru was very conservative. And I’m not. If you see photos of me as a young man, you’d say, ‘wow, how could he have gone out like that?’ That’s why I ended up leaving. Being Peruvian in London was not the most chic thing in the world. But I loved being Peruvian. And over time I defined my aesthetic in relation to that. What I really like is nudity, controversy, and sensuality. It took me a long time to understand that.”
Also Read: Celebrating 5 Emerging Latino Artists
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