CHRISTIAN WITKIN

CHRISTIN WITKIN | New York-based artist Christian Witkin joins us as our first Season II BADASS guest artist, and kicks off the inaugural BADASS workshop. Inspired by his father and uncle to become an artist at seventeen, Witkin brings a refreshing truth and intimacy to the world through his portraiture.

Moving from Amsterdam to New York in 1984, Witkin graduated from Syracuse University with a BA in Fine Arts & Photography. His work features raw fascination with the Indian portrait, Thai Ladyboy, and NYC street life. These facets pull together a keen sense of the relationship between past, present and a looming and uncertain future. Witkin seeks to dive out of his comfort zone through his travels and constant need to challenge himself, growing as an individual and as an artist. He continuously strives to feel overwhelmed.

His work has appeared in major magazines such as New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, New York Magazine and Vogue. His work has also been used to create landmark campaigns for IBM, Nike, GAP, AMEX, RED, Kodak and Levi’s. Currently, Witkin has many endeavors underway a massive 20-year study of the people of India; a body of work in Ethiopia spanning 10 years; his study of the transsexual community in Thailand titled "Thai Ladyboy"; and newly completed prototypes for his first book titled Celebrity Archive and Ordinary Beauty.

Friday, October 23, 2015
the LUNCH | Relish lively conversation and glimpse Christian’s personal journey growing up in a family of artists and steeping himself in the creative life. View his work, new and old, while enjoying an authentic Big Apple spread fresh in from New York City that same day.

Saturday, October 24, 2015
the WORKSHOP | Immerse yourself in an exclusive, full-day, hands-on workshop with Christian Witkin that will hone your ability to bring out the best qualities of your portrait subjects. Shoot a professional model and get personalized attention and feedback that will heighten your technique.

Learn more about Christian here: http://christianwitkin.com

[photo of Christian by Jens Umbach, Dec. 2013]