Paris Is Burning 1991 U.S. Silver Gelatin Single-Weight Photo

From humanitarian assignments in war-torn countries to photoshoots with some of the world’s most prominent people and brands, Michel Comte is a celebrated contemporary magazine and fashion photographer who has worked all over the globe. 

Collaborating with the likes of Vogue Italia, l'Uomo Vogue, Vanity Fair and Interview didn’t happen instantly for Comte. Born and raised in Zurich, Switzerland, the photographer began his career in art restoration, working on pieces by Andy Warhol and Yves Klein until 1979, when he secured his first assignment from fashion industry legend Karl Lagerfeld for French luxury house Chloé. Later, Lagerfeld arranged for Comte to work with Chanel, and from there, the photographer built relationships with numerous brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Gianfranco Ferre, Ferrari, Hennessy, Hermès, Lancôme, Jaguar and more.

Comte worked on photoshoots with many celebrities and public figures such as Mike Tyson, Miles Davis, Sofia Coppola, Elijah Wood, Tina Turner and others.

While keeping busy with shoots, Comte also found time to set up his own humanitarian organization and established successful fundraising efforts with the International Red Cross that focused on supplying clean water to countries in need.

As a passionate mountain climber, Comte became intimately aware of global warming and has worked for decades to increase public awareness relating to climate change. Comte scaled mountains by air and foot to photograph the changes in ice caps — often returning to the same locations all over the world in order to document the disappearing ice.

Comte has exhibited internationally at institutions such as the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, the Kunst Haus Wien in Austria, the Verona Centro Internazionale di Fotografia and Munich Pinakothek der Moderne. 

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