World-Renowned Photographer Platon Brings His Work to Greece

Internationally acclaimed portrait photographer Platon, who has Greek roots and close ties to the country, is in Greece for the first presentation of his four-decade creative career. The exhibition, PEOPLE POWER PLATON, jointly organised by the Benaki Museum and STUDIO PLATON and curated by the artist himself, runs from November 5, 2026, to January 31, 2027.

Before the exhibition’s official opening tonight (November 4), Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will hold a conversation with Platon at the Benaki Museum’s Pireos 138 auditorium.

“This is my way of saying thank you to Greece,” Platon said during a press conference at the museum on Wednesday. He explained that he had chosen the Benaki Museum because of his Greek heritage and his close friendships in the country.

“This is the biggest exhibition I have ever presented, especially in a museum. I chose Greece because I wanted to bring it home. Hollywood is talking a lot about The Odyssey at the moment, but this is the real odyssey. These are 40 years of my work, and I am bringing it to the place and the people I love,” he said.

The internationally recognised artist has photographed more world leaders than any other photographer in history. His subjects include Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Muammar Gaddafi, Tony Blair, Silvio Berlusconi and Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Renowned for his striking portraits of political leaders, influential personalities and people shaping contemporary history, Platon has photographed an extraordinary range of subjects, from politicians and human rights activists to actors, singers, celebrities and ordinary people.

His early photographs from the island of Paros, where his family originates, offer a glimpse into his artistic journey. Against the white background that later became his signature style, he captured weathered faces, young women and unspoilt landscapes reflecting a way of life that has since changed.

Platon on humanity, artificial intelligence and the power of photography

Reflecting on the current state of the world, Platon described an era marked by uncertainty, division and the rapid development of artificial intelligence.

“We live in a time of great uncertainty. We are all overwhelmed by information. We are distracted and, I believe, deeply divided because powerful forces are driving us apart,” he said, pointing to politics and social media algorithms that confine people to increasingly isolated groups.

He also raised concerns about the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and the possibility that society might exchange genuine emotional intelligence for something artificial.

“These are exciting, interesting, unpredictable and dangerous times. But I am optimistic,” he said.

Platon explained that photographing human rights defenders during their most vulnerable moments had strengthened his faith in human nature. Their courage, optimism, hope, resilience and kindness, even after losing everything, convinced him that humanity could still correct its course.

He described the exhibition as a challenge to society to reflect on its direction and consider how it could address the problems facing the world.

Art, power and the complexity of human nature

Platon also discussed the extraordinary diversity of people he has photographed, stressing the importance of distinguishing art from endorsement.

Visitors will encounter people they admire, including cultural figures and actors, as well as controversial personalities whose actions have caused suffering and social upheaval. The exhibition also includes dictators.

“I am not promoting anyone. Not even heroes,” he explained.

Platon noted that public perceptions of individuals can change dramatically over time. Some people once celebrated as heroes later face imprisonment for corruption or sexual violence. He cited Harvey Weinstein and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs as examples.

However, he argued that photographs retain their power because an authentic moment can reveal both sides of human nature.

“When I get a photograph right, when it captures a genuine moment, you can see both sides of human nature within it,” he said.

Benaki Museum highlights the exhibition’s political dimension

Giorgis Manginis, Scientific Director of the Benaki Museum, described PEOPLE POWER PLATON as an exhibition about people and, inevitably, politics.

He explained that politics should be understood as the collective mechanisms that allow societies to function and make human coexistence and progress possible.

“Platon is not simply an artist who creates elegant portraits. He is a commentator on this fundamental aspect of the human condition, approaching it from multiple perspectives,” Manginis said during the press conference.

He encouraged visitors to study the carefully selected subjects and consider the exhibition as an essay on deeper issues, particularly the dynamics of change and the forces shaping the world.

The exhibition

PEOPLE POWER PLATON comprises two thematic sections.

The first presents some of Platon’s most iconic portraits, featuring people who have shaped history, world leaders, human rights activists, celebrities, leading cultural figures, unconventional personalities, marginalised individuals, artists, technology entrepreneurs and fashion designers.

His portraits have appeared on more than 30 covers of TIME magazine. For four decades, international publications including The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Vogue and Vanity Fair have also published his photography.

The second section features photographic compositions drawn from Platon’s numerous visits to Paros over approximately four decades. Through this body of work, he pays tribute to his ancestral homeland and Greek culture.

To coincide with the exhibition, Matsumoto publishing house will release his new, extensively illustrated book, PLATON PAROS, in English, with Platon overseeing its curation and design.

An internationally acclaimed photographic career

Platon has photographed more heads of state than any other photographer in history, including six US presidents.

His more than 30 TIME magazine covers include his 2008 portrait of Vladimir Putin, who received the magazine’s Person of the Year distinction that year. The photograph won first prize in the World Press Photo competition.

More recently, Platon photographed Donald Trump for TIME’s 2024 Person of the Year cover.

In 2008, he joined The New Yorker as a staff photographer. His photographic essays subsequently earned him a Peabody Award and two National Magazine Awards.

In 2013, he founded The People’s Portfolio, a non-profit organisation dedicated to highlighting emerging leaders in human and civil rights around the world.

The organisation uses visual storytelling to break down barriers, promote human dignity, combat discrimination and encourage public support for human rights internationally.

(Source: AMNA)

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