Renowned photographer André Rau has never been simply a fashion photographer – he is a director of the invisible, an architect of visual memory who transforms ordinary portraits into profound artistic statements. While other photographers capture images, Rau constructs spaces of projection, using light as a sculptural material to carve contours and hollow out gazes with almost painterly precision.
Rau's approach to photography goes far beyond mere glorification of his subjects. Each portrait becomes an enigma, a meditation on beauty and its power of illusion. He interrogates the very status of the image itself, creating works that challenge viewers to think deeply about what it means to "see" and "be seen." His iconic subjects, ranging from Catherine Deneuve to Monica Bellucci, appear simultaneously distant and close, divine and human – a tension that forms the core strength of his artistic vision.
The photographer's work offers immediately readable glamour while opening a field of reflection on appearance and depth. His photographs transcend mere glossy surfaces, functioning as critical mirrors that reflect an era obsessed with appearance yet searching for deeper meaning. This sophisticated approach has recently found particular resonance in his exhibition at the Leica Gallery in Munich, an emblematic location in photographic culture.
The Munich retrospective, titled "The FAMOUS," showcases the coherence and power of Rau's body of work through October 18, 2025. The exhibition presents a comprehensive view of his aesthetic philosophy – one where beauty unfolds as a universal language and each portrait bears witness to a demanding aesthetic that is both timeless and audacious. As an heir to classical European elegance nourished by contemporary sensibility, Rau establishes himself as a visual architect of collective memory.
Rau's images do more than document famous faces; they construct mythologies. In this sense, he belongs to that rare lineage of artists capable of transforming fashion photography into aesthetic and intellectual reflection, at the crossroads of the visible and the sensible. His work bridges the gap between commercial photography and fine art, creating a unique space where both can coexist and inform each other.
In a recent interview, Rau shared insights into his artistic influences and philosophy. When asked about the image or person who inspires him most, he cited filmmaker Roman Polanski. The photograph he wishes he had taken is Arthur Sasse's famous portrait of Albert Einstein sticking out his tongue, captured on March 14, 1951. The image that moved him most emotionally features the Dalai Lama, while a key image from his personal pantheon is his own photograph of Catherine Deneuve for Yves Saint Laurent.
Regarding photography's power to change the world, Rau points to Nick Ut's 1972 Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph "Napalm Girl: The Terror of War," taken near Trang Bang, South Vietnam on June 8, 1972, which showed the horror of the Vietnam War to the world. If budget were no object, he would acquire Sasse's Einstein photograph for his collection.
When discussing the craft of photography, Rau emphasizes patience as the most necessary quality for a good photographer. He believes the perfect image doesn't exist – "and that's perfectly fine," he notes. The person he would have most loved to photograph is Albert Einstein, while he would choose to be photographed by the legendary Helmut Newton. His essential photography book recommendation is Irving Penn's "Passage: A Work Record."
Rau's photographic journey began with a simple Instamatic camera in childhood, and today he works with Nikon equipment. His preferred "drug" is love, and swimming serves as his best method of disconnecting from work pressures. While he has no interest in war photography, he never tires of Paris, which he considers the most photogenic city in the world. The photographer claims to be "not a man of regrets" and states that if he could start over, he would do everything identically.
In terms of technical preferences, Rau works with both color and black-and-white photography but expresses a strong preference for natural daylight over artificial lighting. His ideal dinner party would include Roman Polanski, Billy Wilder, and Albert Einstein – a gathering that would combine his passions for cinema, creativity, and intellectual curiosity.
Rau's work continues to evolve and gain recognition in the international art world. His ability to blend commercial success with artistic integrity has established him as one of the most respected photographers of his generation, creating images that will likely influence visual culture for years to come.
