Sante D´ Orazio

Axl Rose Skull- portrait of the famous rock star and lead singer of Guns'n Roses

1993

Photographer Sante D'Orazio has provided the world with an up-close and personal look at some of the most iconic celebrities. His black and white photographs capture the who’s who of the moment, including supermodels, movie stars, musicians, actors and artists. These photographs have a raw and informal feel, yet they evoke the natural and uncensored beauty of the subjects.

D'Orazio was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1956. His interest in art was piqued while attending Brooklyn College, and he later trained under painter Philip Pearlstein and photographer Lou Bernstein. In 1981, D'Orazio started working for Vogue Italia. His photographs caught the eye of Interview magazine — founded by American artist Andy Warhol and British journalist John Wilcock — which led to attention from magazines like Allure, Vanity Fair and GQ. He quickly became known for his provocative, intimate and sensual images. 

Many of the major stars of the 1980s, 1990s and today have been photographed by D'Orazio. They include Angelina Jolie, Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kate Moss, Mike Tyson, Christy Turlington, Johnny Depp, Heidi Klum, Drew Barrymore, Keith Richards and Pamela Anderson.

His nude photographs and portraits have been featured in top fashion magazines and exhibitions worldwide, including at Haus der Kunst, Munich, Stellan Holm Gallery in New York and Galería Hilario Galguera in Mexico City. He has published six books of photography, including Sante D'Orazio Photographs, Pam: American Icon and Barely Private. His work was featured at Art Rotterdam 2022, a premier photography, art and design festival in the Netherlands.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of Sante D'Orazio’s photography.