Lars Schwander

Lars Schwander is a Danish photographer, writer, and composer, and one of the central figures in contemporary Danish photography. He has had an extensive international career with exhibitions across Denmark, Europe, and the United States, and his works are represented in both public and private collections worldwide. Through his practice, Schwander has published both his own photographs and critical writings on other artists, with books released by Nazraeli Press (Arizona), University Press of Mississippi, Abrams (New York), Galleri Image (Aarhus), and Stalke Galleri.

Since the 1970s, Schwander has produced numerous series of urban and landscape photographs, but he is particularly known for his portraits—often of other artists. Over the years, he has portrayed figures such as Björk, Leonard Cohen, Günther Förg, Martin Kippenberger, Helmut Newton, Yoko Ono, Cindy Sherman, and numerous musicians from the punk scene, including Henry Rollins and members of Malaria and Dead Kennedys.

In collaboration with Artstamp.dk, Schwander created an extensive edition of 75 artist portraits in stamp format, published in 2019 as part of the ongoing Artstamp project. This series includes intimate and direct portraits of internationally recognized artists and cultural figures. Among the most notable works is a dedicated set of portraits of Martin Kippenberger, photographed in Copenhagen in October 1996. Comprising 36 images, the series was later acquired by the Stalke Galleri collection and exhibited at various venues, including the National History Museum at Frederiksborg Castle and galleries in Paris, Budapest, and Copenhagen.

Schwander's solo exhibitions have taken place at institutions such as Rosphoto in Saint Petersburg, Galerie Veneuille St.-Péres in Paris, and Ural Vision Gallery in Budapest. He has also participated in numerous group exhibitions, including at Charlottenborg (Copenhagen), Museet for Fotokunst (Odense), Art Forum Berlin, Scandinavian Photography exhibitions in Houston and New York, and Le Centre d’Art Contemporain in Brussels.

His photographs are held in collections such as the Bibliothèque Nationale (Paris), The Royal Library (Copenhagen), Musée de la Photographie (Charleroi), Rosphoto (Saint Petersburg), Fondation Louis Vuitton (Paris), Thomas Olbricht Collection (Germany), Lenono Photo Archive (New York), Falsterbo Photo Museum, and many private collections. Schwander’s practice spans a wide field but is always marked by a distinct presence in the portrait and a strong visual understanding of cultural significance and human identity.

See all 75 artist portraits by Lars Schwander in the Artstamp series

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