harry styles. I took this picture during a whirlwind photo session with the entire One Direction clan. I remember having one hour to photograph a group shot, as well as individual sittings with each band member. This restrictive timing only added to the intensity of the moment. I must admit, I knew very little about the group, but I am always happy to learn, and at the time of the photo session I was told they were the biggest act in the world. Harry clearly stood out for me. In this picture he has a magical quality, and it was so easy to capture him. He was charming and inquisitive, and I was surprised at how unguarded he was. I post this picture as a tribute to Harry who has now emerged as a major artist in his own right. I was proud to include Harry’s iris in my latest NFT drop, and I am pleased to announce @talb3311 is the winner of our competition – GUESS WHO? Congratulations on winning my signed copy of PLATON’S REPUBLIC. Thank you all for playing the game. Harry Styles, EYE salute you.
daniel craig. Friends, I could not resist this one. Here is my tribute to Daniel Craig. When I took this picture, he had recently finished 007 filming, and came to the photo session with his arm in a sling. I presume his injury was from performing his own stunts. The on-set publicist insisted that we only take headshots, but Daniel has such a physical presence. He kindly removed the sling and rested his damaged arm on his leg, wincing at the movement and pain. I took this photograph capturing a moment where he looks invincible, yet is secretly battle torn. Daniel was very kind that day to see beyond the restrictions of public relations and recognize the importance of artistic decisions. Daniel Craig, I salute you.
colin powell. In the tense last few days of a contentious election campaign between Barack Obama and John McCain, General Colin Powell made a historic appearance on a news program called Meet The Press. He announced that even though he was a Republican, he had decided to endorse Obama [a Democrat] for President. He said that he believed Obama would represent a more inclusive society at a time when America was deeply divided. He said he felt this way because of a photograph he had seen in a magazine. He described the picture in great detail — a grieving mother at her son’s grave in Arlington Cemetery. Her son had died fighting for America in Iraq. The mother’s name was Elsheba Khan, and she was an American-Muslim, as was her fallen son. General Colin Powell described her son as a true patriot who had made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. The magazine he referred to was The New Yorker, and I am humbled to say the portrait was mine. The mother’s grief had touched the heart of America’s first black Secretary of State, and helped inspire him to rise above political division for the sake of inclusive unity. Over the years, Colin Powell and I became friends, and I enjoyed many inspiring and uplifting conversations with him about race, religious freedom and service. He described America as a constant work in progress, and that we are all stakeholders in our communal future. He was gracious enough to appear in a Netflix documentary about my work, produced by my dear friend Scott Dadich. During our filmed photo session, the General shared his bold optimistic vision for America’s society. Colin Powell once wrote me a letter which I treasure to this day. He noted that my portrait of Elsheba Khan had shown him, in a painful way, what America is really about. General Colin Powell, you were one of our greatest statesmen and you will surely be missed. I salute you.
colin powell. In the tense last few days of a contentious election campaign between Barack Obama and John McCain, General Colin Powell made a historic appearance on a news program called Meet The Press. He announced that even though he was a Republican, he had decided to endorse Obama [a Democrat] for President. He said that he believed Obama would represent a more inclusive society at a time when America was deeply divided. He said he felt this way because of a photograph he had seen in a magazine. He described the picture in great detail — a grieving mother at her son’s grave in Arlington Cemetery. Her son had died fighting for America in Iraq. The mother’s name was Elsheba Khan, and she was an American-Muslim, as was her fallen son. General Colin Powell described her son as a true patriot who had made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. The magazine he referred to was The New Yorker, and I am humbled to say the portrait was mine. The mother’s grief had touched the heart of America’s first black Secretary of State, and helped inspire him to rise above political division for the sake of inclusive unity. Over the years, Colin Powell and I became friends, and I enjoyed many inspiring and uplifting conversations with him about race, religious freedom and service. He described America as a constant work in progress, and that we are all stakeholders in our communal future. He was gracious enough to appear in a Netflix documentary about my work, produced by my dear friend Scott Dadich. During our filmed photo session, the General shared his bold optimistic vision for America’s society. Colin Powell once wrote me a letter which I treasure to this day. He noted that my portrait of Elsheba Khan had shown him, in a painful way, what America is really about. General Colin Powell, you were one of our greatest statesmen and you will surely be missed. I salute you.
Friends, I am so excited to share a new project with you all. This Sunday, June 6th I will be dropping a fresh set of NFTs on @lgnd.art. In the past, some of you have raised important issues about NFTs, specifically about their effects on the environment. I chose to collaborate with the LGND team because they utilize a new eco-conscious blockchain technology which is 125,000 times more efficient than other methods. Check out this behind-the-scenes film. It’s really fun. Let’s play the game together. Stay tuned. To all my followers, “EYE” salute you.
Dear friends, I’ve got some exciting news. This Friday I will be dropping a series of NFTs on OpenSea. The drop will consist of six short films about courage, compassion and humility. In connection with this drop I will be hosting a Clubhouse event tomorrow at 2:30pm EST. I’ll be telling stories about my experiences working with historic figures and I am particularly excited to have Edward Snowden join me as a special guest. We will have an honest and human conversation about values and how best we can navigate a future path as we all rebuild this troubled world together. If you are on Clubhouse, please join us. You can find a link to the event in my bio. It’s going to be epic. Edward Snowden, I salute you.
Dear friends, this is my short film about Ramy Essam. He is one of my all-time heroes. Today, I am dropping my Genesis NFT Collection of short films and images on OpenSea. Our main goal is to raise money and awareness for my human rights foundation, The People’s Portfolio, so we can continue to amplify the voices of inspirational leaders, just like Ramy. To all of you who have supported me for so long, I want you to know I care deeply about your thoughts and comments. Some of you voiced well-informed concerns about the environmental impact of NFTs. I want to reassure you that a portion of the proceeds from my NFT sales will pay to neutralize our carbon footprint for this drop. The auction is about to go live so please follow the link in my bio to view all the films. Let’s work together to drive positive change. Ramy Essam, I salute you.
This is a picture of Kirk Douglas and his wonderful wife, Anne. I was very sad to hear that Anne passed away a few days ago. My heart goes out to the family at this time. I took this image in their home in Los Angeles many years ago. They both made me feel very welcome and we had such a special afternoon together. This is a photographic memory of two people in love. Kirk and Anne, rest in peace.
Dear friends, the year is drawing to a close and I want to thank you all for joining me on this platform. I’ve really enjoyed sharing my thoughts and pictures with you, as well as reading all your kind comments of support and encouragement. I’m so proud of our community. We’ve shown an angry and divided world that we can be respectful and we can find common ground. It’s really important to raise sensitive and challenging issues in society, but to do it with a humble curiosity rather than dismissive judgement. Here is something fun and joyful. I dedicate these pictures to all my friends who are One Direction fans. I took these pictures some years ago at the peak of the band’s fame and power. They were all such lovely lads; kind, patient, calm and enthusiastic. They trusted me 100% and it shows in the pictures. I caught unique and authentic moments from them all. We took these pictures in an isolated hotel in the middle of the English countryside. The entire complex was cornered off by security guards. It was as if I was photographing a head of state or government. The last picture in this sequence is of Harry Styles. I recently took my daughter to see him at Madison Square Garden and honesty it was the highlight of my year. That night I saw my 15 year old daughter filled with joy and optimism, and it was beautiful to see her amongst a community that is optimistic and caring. We had a blast. Thank you, Harry for cheering us all up during these difficult times. I wish you all a happy holiday and let us think of all those who have lost loved ones and friends recently. The human spirit is so resilient, and we will get through this together. To all my followers, I salute you.
Dear friends, the year is drawing to a close and I want to thank you all for joining me on this platform. I’ve really enjoyed sharing my thoughts and pictures with you, as well as reading all your kind comments of support and encouragement. I’m so proud of our community. We’ve shown an angry and divided world that we can be respectful and we can find common ground. It’s really important to raise sensitive and challenging issues in society, but to do it with a humble curiosity rather than dismissive judgement. Here is something fun and joyful. I dedicate these pictures to all my friends who are One Direction fans. I took these pictures some years ago at the peak of the band’s fame and power. They were all such lovely lads; kind, patient, calm and enthusiastic. They trusted me 100% and it shows in the pictures. I caught unique and authentic moments from them all. We took these pictures in an isolated hotel in the middle of the English countryside. The entire complex was cornered off by security guards. It was as if I was photographing a head of state or government. The last picture in this sequence is of Harry Styles. I recently took my daughter to see him at Madison Square Garden and honesty it was the highlight of my year. That night I saw my 15 year old daughter filled with joy and optimism, and it was beautiful to see her amongst a community that is optimistic and caring. We had a blast. Thank you, Harry for cheering us all up during these difficult times. I wish you all a happy holiday and let us think of all those who have lost loved ones and friends recently. The human spirit is so resilient, and we will get through this together. To all my followers, I salute you.
Dear friends, the year is drawing to a close and I want to thank you all for joining me on this platform. I’ve really enjoyed sharing my thoughts and pictures with you, as well as reading all your kind comments of support and encouragement. I’m so proud of our community. We’ve shown an angry and divided world that we can be respectful and we can find common ground. It’s really important to raise sensitive and challenging issues in society, but to do it with a humble curiosity rather than dismissive judgement. Here is something fun and joyful. I dedicate these pictures to all my friends who are One Direction fans. I took these pictures some years ago at the peak of the band’s fame and power. They were all such lovely lads; kind, patient, calm and enthusiastic. They trusted me 100% and it shows in the pictures. I caught unique and authentic moments from them all. We took these pictures in an isolated hotel in the middle of the English countryside. The entire complex was cornered off by security guards. It was as if I was photographing a head of state or government. The last picture in this sequence is of Harry Styles. I recently took my daughter to see him at Madison Square Garden and honesty it was the highlight of my year. That night I saw my 15 year old daughter filled with joy and optimism, and it was beautiful to see her amongst a community that is optimistic and caring. We had a blast. Thank you, Harry for cheering us all up during these difficult times. I wish you all a happy holiday and let us think of all those who have lost loved ones and friends recently. The human spirit is so resilient, and we will get through this together. To all my followers, I salute you.
Dear friends, the year is drawing to a close and I want to thank you all for joining me on this platform. I’ve really enjoyed sharing my thoughts and pictures with you, as well as reading all your kind comments of support and encouragement. I’m so proud of our community. We’ve shown an angry and divided world that we can be respectful and we can find common ground. It’s really important to raise sensitive and challenging issues in society, but to do it with a humble curiosity rather than dismissive judgement. Here is something fun and joyful. I dedicate these pictures to all my friends who are One Direction fans. I took these pictures some years ago at the peak of the band’s fame and power. They were all such lovely lads; kind, patient, calm and enthusiastic. They trusted me 100% and it shows in the pictures. I caught unique and authentic moments from them all. We took these pictures in an isolated hotel in the middle of the English countryside. The entire complex was cornered off by security guards. It was as if I was photographing a head of state or government. The last picture in this sequence is of Harry Styles. I recently took my daughter to see him at Madison Square Garden and honesty it was the highlight of my year. That night I saw my 15 year old daughter filled with joy and optimism, and it was beautiful to see her amongst a community that is optimistic and caring. We had a blast. Thank you, Harry for cheering us all up during these difficult times. I wish you all a happy holiday and let us think of all those who have lost loved ones and friends recently. The human spirit is so resilient, and we will get through this together. To all my followers, I salute you.
Dear friends, the year is drawing to a close and I want to thank you all for joining me on this platform. I’ve really enjoyed sharing my thoughts and pictures with you, as well as reading all your kind comments of support and encouragement. I’m so proud of our community. We’ve shown an angry and divided world that we can be respectful and we can find common ground. It’s really important to raise sensitive and challenging issues in society, but to do it with a humble curiosity rather than dismissive judgement. Here is something fun and joyful. I dedicate these pictures to all my friends who are One Direction fans. I took these pictures some years ago at the peak of the band’s fame and power. They were all such lovely lads; kind, patient, calm and enthusiastic. They trusted me 100% and it shows in the pictures. I caught unique and authentic moments from them all. We took these pictures in an isolated hotel in the middle of the English countryside. The entire complex was cornered off by security guards. It was as if I was photographing a head of state or government. The last picture in this sequence is of Harry Styles. I recently took my daughter to see him at Madison Square Garden and honesty it was the highlight of my year. That night I saw my 15 year old daughter filled with joy and optimism, and it was beautiful to see her amongst a community that is optimistic and caring. We had a blast. Thank you, Harry for cheering us all up during these difficult times. I wish you all a happy holiday and let us think of all those who have lost loved ones and friends recently. The human spirit is so resilient, and we will get through this together. To all my followers, I salute you.
Dear friends, the year is drawing to a close and I want to thank you all for joining me on this platform. I’ve really enjoyed sharing my thoughts and pictures with you, as well as reading all your kind comments of support and encouragement. I’m so proud of our community. We’ve shown an angry and divided world that we can be respectful and we can find common ground. It’s really important to raise sensitive and challenging issues in society, but to do it with a humble curiosity rather than dismissive judgement. Here is something fun and joyful. I dedicate these pictures to all my friends who are One Direction fans. I took these pictures some years ago at the peak of the band’s fame and power. They were all such lovely lads; kind, patient, calm and enthusiastic. They trusted me 100% and it shows in the pictures. I caught unique and authentic moments from them all. We took these pictures in an isolated hotel in the middle of the English countryside. The entire complex was cornered off by security guards. It was as if I was photographing a head of state or government. The last picture in this sequence is of Harry Styles. I recently took my daughter to see him at Madison Square Garden and honesty it was the highlight of my year. That night I saw my 15 year old daughter filled with joy and optimism, and it was beautiful to see her amongst a community that is optimistic and caring. We had a blast. Thank you, Harry for cheering us all up during these difficult times. I wish you all a happy holiday and let us think of all those who have lost loved ones and friends recently. The human spirit is so resilient, and we will get through this together. To all my followers, I salute you.
Dear friends, this week I am celebrating some of my heroes with a series of NFT drops to raise money and awareness for my human rights foundation, The People’s Portfolio. Here is a short film about Alina Diaz. She is a true leader and champion for women’s rights, especially those who are undocumented farmworkers in America. Her story is powerful and uplifting, and she shows us a clear and bright path towards truth and righteousness. Alina’s film is currently at auction on OpenSea. Let’s reshape the world together. Alina Diaz, I salute you.
Dear friends, I have some really exciting news. On the 23rd of September at 11am EST I will be dropping my next set of iris NFTs on @lgnd.art, link in bio. As before, I chose to collaborate with the LGND team because they utilize a new eco-conscious blockchain technology which is 125,000 times more efficient than other methods. The twelve new irises belong to heroes of our time, cultural provocateurs and villains, depending on how you see the world. This is phase two of EYE LOVE YOU, EYE HATE YOU. As part of the festivities, I thought we should play a game. Here is one of the new iris NFTs and I challenge you all to GUESS WHO? Let’s have some fun. Please post your guesses in the comments, and the first person to guess correctly will win a signed copy of PLATON’S REPUBLIC, my first book. I will announce the winner on the day of the drop. Let the game begin! EYE SALUTE YOU.
Dear friends, today is the final day of our NFT auction on OpenSea. I present to you the third human rights film featuring an inspiring 3-year-old girl called Evelyn. She marches for freedom and dignity. We will be hosting a final Clubhouse chat during the final hours of the auction. Please join us at 3pm EST as we celebrate the human condition, see link in bio to join. Let’s make this a fairer and more inclusive world. Evelyn Velazquez, I salute you.
Friends, I’m getting very excited about dropping my new series of NFTs this Sunday. The art is now live on @lgnd.art so go check it out. Link in bio. To all my followers, whose eye is this? Is this someone you love or someone you hate? I’ll be on the lookout for your guesses in the comments. Let the game begin!
The game continues… Tomorrow at 7:30pm I will be doing a Clubhouse talk with my friends at Culture Club. Link in bio to join. To all my followers, whose eye is this? Is this someone you love or someone you hate? I’ll be on the lookout for your guesses in the comments. Play on!
Dear friends, I’m really excited to share some new work with you. I recently had the great privilege to collaborate with a very special person. Her name is Rupi Kaur and she is a poet. Rupi has a magical talent for expressing our deepest feelings. She is a courageous advocate for women’s rights around the world and inspires us all to be more authentic, more honest, more understanding and more compassionate. Here is the first of three short films I made staring Rupi Kaur for UNHCR’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. It must be said that this entire project would not have happened without my special friends at UNHCR [United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees]. They co-produced this entire partnership and brought the majestic Rupi Kaur to my New York studio. Rupi Kaur, I salute you. #16Days #OrangeTheWorld #UNHCR @Refugees @rupikaur_
Friends, as part of the continued Eye Love You, Eye Hate You iris project, I am very excited to announce a special edition collaboration NFT with my dear friend, Nadya Tolokonnikova from Pussy Riot. Nadya is a legend of our time and I am proud to share our work with you all. Here is a short film I made about our project. This NFT will drop on @lgnd.art on Sunday, September 26th at 11am EST. Link in bio. Proceeds will go to my foundation @peoplesportfolio. This will help to continue our mission — amplifying the voices of human rights defenders around the world. Long live people power. Nadya, EYE SALUTE YOU.
Dear friends, today is Human Rights Day – a time to reflect on the value of human dignity and freedom. As I get older, I am spending more and more of my time on human rights and civil rights issues around the world and honestly, I have never felt so inspired and motivated by my work as a storyteller and photographer. Today also marks the end of UNHCR’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. I am proud to have worked with my friends at UNHCR and the majestic Rupi Kaur. Here is the next short film from our special collaboration. Rupi’s resilient words open our hearts and our minds. Rupi Kaur, UNHCR, and all the survivors in the world, I salute you. #orangetheworld #16days #humanrightsday @rupikaur_ @refugees
Dear friends, I want to share something close to my heart. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is from Pakistan, and she is one of the world’s greatest film directors. Her powerful, provocative documentaries compel us to have important conversations about women’s rights and gender justice around the world. She is the only female director to have won two Academy Awards by the age of 37. In the last 20 years, she has made 24 award-winning films in 16 different countries. I guess that’s why TIME Magazine included her in their 100 most influential people list. I first met Sharmeen at Davos many years ago and we became instant friends, but I must be honest, I don’t think I really knew her until recently when I invited her to my New York studio for a portrait session. Before I took this picture we sat down and had an honest conversation about her values. Suddenly, I felt the true force of power and humanity from her heart. I decided with my team to film our entire session so that I could share with the world the inspiration I feel from Sharmeen. So friends, it is with great pride that I share with you all for the first time this short film honoring Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. I hope this lifts your spirits as we close out a difficult year. Sharmeen, I salute you.
Friends, I am proud to share with you my NFT collaboration with Nadya from Pussy Riot, celebrating 10 years since the group’s formation. It features Nadya reading from her closing statement just before being sentenced to two years in a Siberian prison. Nadya’s words will go down as one of our generation’s greatest speeches. She calls for less judgement and more curiosity. As part of the festivities, my special friend Kat Cole will be hosting a provocative conversation with me and Nadya on Clubhouse this Friday at 12:30pm EST. Link in bio to join. I am so excited about this week’s NFT drops, especially as proceeds from my Nadya NFT will be donated to my human rights foundation @peoplesportfolio. Join us on Friday. Nadya, EYE SALUTE YOU.
@nadyariot @katcoleatl @lgnd.art @peoplesportfolio
![Platon Instagram - colin powell. In the tense last few days of a contentious election campaign between Barack Obama and John McCain, General Colin Powell made a historic appearance on a news program called Meet The Press. He announced that even though he was a Republican, he had decided to endorse Obama [a Democrat] for President. He said that he believed Obama would represent a more inclusive society at a time when America was deeply divided. He said he felt this way because of a photograph he had seen in a magazine. He described the picture in great detail — a grieving mother at her son’s grave in Arlington Cemetery. Her son had died fighting for America in Iraq. The mother’s name was Elsheba Khan, and she was an American-Muslim, as was her fallen son. General Colin Powell described her son as a true patriot who had made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. The magazine he referred to was The New Yorker, and I am humbled to say the portrait was mine. The mother’s grief had touched the heart of America’s first black Secretary of State, and helped inspire him to rise above political division for the sake of inclusive unity. Over the years, Colin Powell and I became friends, and I enjoyed many inspiring and uplifting conversations with him about race, religious freedom and service. He described America as a constant work in progress, and that we are all stakeholders in our communal future. He was gracious enough to appear in a Netflix documentary about my work, produced by my dear friend Scott Dadich. During our filmed photo session, the General shared his bold optimistic vision for America’s society. Colin Powell once wrote me a letter which I treasure to this day. He noted that my portrait of Elsheba Khan had shown him, in a painful way, what America is really about. General Colin Powell, you were one of our greatest statesmen and you will surely be missed. I salute you.](https://www.gethucinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Platon-67-150x150.jpg)
![Platon Instagram - colin powell. In the tense last few days of a contentious election campaign between Barack Obama and John McCain, General Colin Powell made a historic appearance on a news program called Meet The Press. He announced that even though he was a Republican, he had decided to endorse Obama [a Democrat] for President. He said that he believed Obama would represent a more inclusive society at a time when America was deeply divided. He said he felt this way because of a photograph he had seen in a magazine. He described the picture in great detail — a grieving mother at her son’s grave in Arlington Cemetery. Her son had died fighting for America in Iraq. The mother’s name was Elsheba Khan, and she was an American-Muslim, as was her fallen son. General Colin Powell described her son as a true patriot who had made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. The magazine he referred to was The New Yorker, and I am humbled to say the portrait was mine. The mother’s grief had touched the heart of America’s first black Secretary of State, and helped inspire him to rise above political division for the sake of inclusive unity. Over the years, Colin Powell and I became friends, and I enjoyed many inspiring and uplifting conversations with him about race, religious freedom and service. He described America as a constant work in progress, and that we are all stakeholders in our communal future. He was gracious enough to appear in a Netflix documentary about my work, produced by my dear friend Scott Dadich. During our filmed photo session, the General shared his bold optimistic vision for America’s society. Colin Powell once wrote me a letter which I treasure to this day. He noted that my portrait of Elsheba Khan had shown him, in a painful way, what America is really about. General Colin Powell, you were one of our greatest statesmen and you will surely be missed. I salute you.](https://www.gethucinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Platon-23-150x150.jpg)
![Platon Instagram - Dear friends, I’m really excited to share some new work with you. I recently had the great privilege to collaborate with a very special person. Her name is Rupi Kaur and she is a poet. Rupi has a magical talent for expressing our deepest feelings. She is a courageous advocate for women’s rights around the world and inspires us all to be more authentic, more honest, more understanding and more compassionate. Here is the first of three short films I made staring Rupi Kaur for UNHCR’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. It must be said that this entire project would not have happened without my special friends at UNHCR [United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees]. They co-produced this entire partnership and brought the majestic Rupi Kaur to my New York studio. Rupi Kaur, I salute you. #16Days #OrangeTheWorld #UNHCR @Refugees @rupikaur_](https://www.gethucinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Platon-22-150x150.jpg)
