Nadav Kander (Israeli, b.1961) is a photographer, artist,
and director known internationally for his landscapes and portraits. Kander was
born in Tel Aviv, Israel, but two years later, his family moved to South Africa
and settled there. He began to take photographs using a Pentax camera in 1974.
He was later drafted into the South African Army, where he worked in a dark
room, printing aerial photographs.
In 1986, Kander moved
to London with his wife, Nicole. His photography work, which has been
celebrated worldwide, includes Diver, Salt Lake, Utah 1997 and the 2009
portrait of Barack Obama, which he photographed as a cover feature for the The
New York Times Magazine.
Kander published his first monograph, Beauty's nothing, in
2001. This was followed by a catalogue entitled Nadav Kander - Night, which
contained nocturnal landscapes that accompanied his exhibitions in the Shine
Gallery, London, and at the Yancey Richardson Gallery in New York. His
photography can be considered part of the Photo Reportage movement, which uses
photography to highlight various ongoing social issues.
Hatje Cantz published Kander's latest monograph, Yangtze -
The Long River, in 2010. This series won the prestigious 2009 Prix Pictet Earth
award. In the same year, he also won the International Photographer of the Year
award at the 7th Annual Lucie Awards.
He has collaborated with various galleries and museums,
including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the National Portrait
Gallery, also in London, where his work forms the public art collection. Kander
still lives in London, UK, with his children, Ella, Talia, and Oren, and his
wife.