Long before he was one of the top male models of the 1990s — appearing in fashion campaigns for Calvin Klein, Versace, Guess? and Roberto Cavalli — Mikael Kenta was a photographer. Today he creates stunning portraits that capture the humanity, strength and character of each of his subjects.
Born in 1972 in Gothenburg, Kenta showed a love of photography at an early age — his father gave him his first camera when he was only seven. In later years, Kenta studied science and graphic design. However, he decided he was more interested in photography and, in his spare time, worked as an assistant to a fashion photographer in Gothenburg.
In 1994, Kenta went to Milan, keen to learn more about fashion and art photography. In an attempt to launch his photographic career, he applied to several fashion agencies — as it turned out, they were more interested in signing Kenta as a model.
During his 15-year modeling career, Kenta gained valuable insight into the world of fashion photography, learning various techniques about posing subjects, lighting and composition — elements that make up much of Kenta’s own photography today.
Although he prefers to work in black and white photography, citing revered American fashion photographer Herb Ritts as an influence, Kenta demonstrates considerable proficiency with color photography — inspired by the “kitsch pop Surrealism” that characterizes the work of American MTV music video director and photographer Dave LaChapelle. This is evident in Kenta’s “Iconic” series featuring works such as Mr. Donut, Kind of Blue and Coke. In 2016, the series was shown at the “Walk of Inspiration” exhibition in Stockholm.
The following year, Kenta spent six months on the island of Ibiza, meeting and photographing several people who made a lasting impression on him. This culminated in a striking series of hyperrealistic black-and-white portraits titled “People from Ibiza.”
Kenta’s contemporary photography continues to garner critical acclaim from art critics and collectors alike, with his works featured in galleries throughout Europe and the United States.
Find original Mikael Kenta photography on 1stDibs.
Set From the Ibiza People series
By Mikael Kenta
Located in Miami Beach, FL
“People from Ibiza” Kenta first came to visit the magic island of Ibiza as a young man at the age of 18 and fell in love with the diversity of personalities and expressions of freedo...
Black and White, Archival Pigment
Mariette From Ibiza Series
By Mikael Kenta
Located in Miami Beach, FL
“People from Ibiza” Kenta first came to visit the magic island of Ibiza as a young man at the age of 18 and fell in love with the diversity of personalities and expressions of freedo...
Archival Pigment, Black and White
Francisco and Mariette, From Ibiza Series, Diptych
By Mikael Kenta
Located in Miami Beach, FL
“People from Ibiza” Kenta first came to visit the magic island of Ibiza as a young man at the age of 18 and fell in love with the diversity of personalities and expressions of freedo...
Black and White, Archival Pigment
Francisco From Ibiza Series
By Mikael Kenta
Located in Miami Beach, FL
“People from Ibiza” Kenta first came to visit the magic island of Ibiza as a young man at the age of 18 and fell in love with the diversity of personalities and expressions of freedo...
Archival Pigment, Black and White
Jesus 2 and Jesus, From Ibiza Series, Diptych
By Mikael Kenta
Located in Miami Beach, FL
“People from Ibiza” Kenta first came to visit the magic island of Ibiza as a young man at the age of 18 and fell in love with the diversity of personalities and expressions of freedo...
Black and White, Archival Pigment
Ron From Ibiza Series
By Mikael Kenta
Located in Miami Beach, FL
“People from Ibiza” Kenta first came to visit the magic island of Ibiza as a young man at the age of 18 and fell in love with the diversity of personalities and expressions of freedo...
Archival Pigment, Black and White
Gonzalo From Ibiza Series
By Mikael Kenta
Located in Miami Beach, FL
“People from Ibiza” Kenta first came to visit the magic island of Ibiza as a young man at the age of 18 and fell in love with the diversity of personalities and expressions of freedo...
Archival Pigment, Black and White
Anibal From Ibiza Series, Small Size
By Mikael Kenta
Located in Miami Beach, FL
“People from Ibiza” Kenta first came to visit the magic island of Ibiza as a young man at the age of 18 and fell in love with the diversity of personalities and expressions of freedo...
Archival Pigment, Black and White
Ron and Mariette, From the Ibiza Series, Diptych
By Mikael Kenta
Located in Miami Beach, FL
“People from Ibiza” Kenta first came to visit the magic island of Ibiza as a young man at the age of 18 and fell in love with the diversity of personalities and expressions of freedo...
Black and White, Archival Pigment
Pedro and Mariette, From Ibiza Series, Diptych
By Mikael Kenta
Located in Miami Beach, FL
“People from Ibiza” Kenta first came to visit the magic island of Ibiza as a young man at the age of 18 and fell in love with the diversity of personalities and expressions of freedo...
Archival Pigment, Black and White
Jesus 2 From Ibiza Series
By Mikael Kenta
Located in Miami Beach, FL
“People from Ibiza” Kenta first came to visit the magic island of Ibiza as a young man at the age of 18 and fell in love with the diversity of personalities and expressions of freedo...
Archival Pigment, Black and White
Jesus From Ibiza Series
By Mikael Kenta
Located in Miami Beach, FL
“People from Ibiza” Kenta first came to visit the magic island of Ibiza as a young man at the age of 18 and fell in love with the diversity of personalities and expressions of freedo...
Archival Pigment, Black and White
Pedro. From Ibiza Series
By Mikael Kenta
Located in Miami Beach, FL
“People from Ibiza” Kenta first came to visit the magic island of Ibiza as a young man at the age of 18 and fell in love with the diversity of personalities and expressions of freedo...
Black and White, Archival Pigment
$7,500
H 23.63 in W 19.69 in
Chris Harris, Los Angeles, 21st Century, Contemporary, Celebrity, Photography
By Greg Gorman
Located in München, BY
Edition 25 Also available in 76 x 101 cm / 30 x 40 inch, Edition 25 Black and white portrait of Chris Harris. From personality portraits and advertising campaigns to magazine layo...
Archival Pigment
$6,615
H 38 in W 57 in
Portrait of a Young Women in Kenya, Black and White, Meditative
By Drew Doggett
Located in US
"Fabric of Youth" A young Rendille woman named Adato watches over the deserted salt flats of the Chalbi Desert. She is a beacon of hope for the future of her tribe. This image is ...
Archival Pigment
$6,300
H 20 in W 24 in
"Mademoiselle Chanel in the Atelier, 1962" Ed. 9/24 signed by Douglas Kirkland
By Douglas Kirkland
Located in Culver City, CA
"Mademoiselle Chanel in the Atelier, 1962" Ed. 9/24 signed by Douglas Kirkland Hand signed by Douglas Kirkland Printed later Medium: archival pigment print on Hahnemühle watercolor ...
Archival Pigment
Penelope Cruz - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography
By Michel Comte
Located in Vienna, AT
This limited edition black-and-white photograph by Michel Comte features actress Penélope Cruz in a close, expressive portrait that emphasizes gesture, texture, and tonal contrast. T...
Archival Pigment
$7,060
H 26.38 in W 26.38 in
Carla Bruni, Safe Sex Playboy - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography
By Michel Comte
Located in Vienna, AT
This artwork for the Playboy's Safer Sex Campaign by Michel Comte is a striking black-and-white photograph from the influential series created during the early 1990s. Featuring Carla...
Archival Pigment
Alexander McQueen - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography
By Nigel Parry
Located in Vienna, AT
Nigel Parry photographs Alexander McQueen with almost brutal directness. Shot in stark monochrome and cropped tightly around the face, the portrait mirrors the emotional intensity th...
Archival Pigment
$3,530
H 12 in W 12 in
Anne Heche Minimalist Portrait, Archival Pigment Print, Signed, 12x12
By Nigel Parry
Located in Vienna, AT
"Anne Heche" by Nigel Parry is a striking minimalist portrait that distills the presence of Anne Heche into a powerful study of gaze, symmetry, and light. Reduced to the essential el...
Archival Pigment
$1,850
H 16 in W 20 in
Love is Love, Reflected by Zack Whitford - Steven Tyler in concert - Aerosmith
By Zack Whitford
Located in Chicago, IL
Steven Tyler at the Piano Archival pigment print Edition size: 25 16" x 20" print Please inquire about framing options BIO A gifted young street photographer, who just happens to be the son of Aerosmith’s rhythm guitarist, Brad Whitford, is set loose with the band. The result is a take on rock photography that blows through all the commercial conventions of hype-driven money shots. ~Michael Weinstein...
Archival Pigment
The Naiad
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Erica Kelly Martin is an artist and photographer, based in Los Angeles, whose work centers on recurring themes of identity, transformation, and the paradox of human existence, conden...
Archival Pigment
$3,530
H 12 in W 12 in
Iggy Pop Limited Edition Archival Pigment Print, Contemporary, 1990s
By Nigel Parry
Located in Vienna, AT
Nothing about this portrait feels safe or predictable. Nigel Parry captures Iggy Pop with wild eyes, exposed torso, and a bizarre metallic object clenched between his teeth, turning ...
Archival Pigment
$2,350
H 24 in W 36 in D 0.1 in
Bold Jewelry on Display in Ethiopia, Fashion, Horizontal, Portrait
By Drew Doggett
Located in US
"Untitled 9" The distinctly preserved cultures of the Omo Valley in Ethiopia are featured in this print series titled Omo: Expressions of a People. For this series, Drew received ...
Archival Pigment
$7,060
H 26.38 in W 22.45 in
Gisele Buendchen in Cannes - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography
By Michel Comte
Located in Vienna, AT
In 1999, star photographer Michel Comte created a series of images with supermodel Gisele Bündchen in Cannes, France for Vogue Italia. The highly praised artworks are now part of fas...
Archival Pigment
Sold
H 62.99 in W 94.4 in D 0.1 in
Francisco and Mariette, From Ibiza Series, Diptych
By Mikael Kenta
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Francisco and Mariette, Diptych From the "Ibiza" Series Archival Pigment Print with a 1.57-inch white border. Individual Image size: 62.99 in. H x 47.24 in. W Overal size: 62.99 in. ...
Black and White, Archival Pigment