Kwaku Alston
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Kwaku Alston | |
|---|---|
| Born | Philadelphia, U.S. |
| Occupation | Photographer |
| Known for | Photographing Barack and Michelle Obama |
| Notable work | Art for Obama (2009) |
| Website | www |
Kwaku Alston is an American photographer and director. Born in Philadelphia, he has photographed some of the most influential faces of our time and his editorial work has been featured in The New York Times Magazine, Harper's Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Billboard, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Time, among others.[1][2][3] He has photographed Key Art and Publicity stills and motion for movie and TV posters for major Hollywood studios[4] including NBCUniversal, Paramount, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and commerical work for Chase, Apple, NBA, Coca-Cola, Target and Verizon. He has also photographed President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama on several occasions, including for Essence and the 2009 art book Art for Obama. Kwaku was also featured in Apple's 2020 Keynote as one of the modern creative visionaries for the M1 chip launch.[5]
After graduating from the Rochester Institute of Technology, Kwaku launched his career in New York City, quickly shooting for major magazines and advertising agencies in his early twenties. Today, he is based between New York and Los Angeles.
Beyond commercial work, Kwaku has partnered with a range of charities and nonprofit organizations, including the DesignACure Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign, Black AIDS Institute, Smiley Faces Foundation, and Project Angel Food. His photography of Betty White was the base for the 2025 USPS Commemorative Betty White Postage Stamp.[6]
Kwaku delivered the 2025 commencement address to the RIT College of Art and Design where he received RIT's Outstanding Alumnus Award, the highest honor RIT can bestow upon a graduate.
Exhibitions
Publications
- Black Masculinities, Hatje Cantz, 2023.[11]
- Art for Obama: Designing Manifest Hope and the Campaign for Change, Abrams Image, 2009[12]
