Tony Kelly (photographer)

Tony Kelly
Born1975 or 1976 (age 50–51)[1]
Dublin, Ireland[2]
OccupationPhotographer
Websitetonykellyworld.com

Tony Kelly (1975 or 1976)[1] is a photographer from Dublin, Ireland.[3] Originally working as a news photographer in Ireland,[4] as of 2020, he was based in Los Angeles and working as a fashion and art photographer.[5] He has exhibited internationally, with solo exhibitions in Los Angeles, Vienna, Miami Beach, and St. Moritz.[6][7][8][9]

Early career

Born in Ireland, Kelly worked as photojournalist while a teenager.[10] During his early press career, Kelly covered news and international assignments, including reporting trips connected to the early stages of the war in Afghanistan in 2001, before transitioning into portrait, celebrity and fashion photography.[11] In 1996, his photo of a kiss between musicians Bono and Liam Gallagher drew additional exposure and prompted a change in his career.[12]

In the early 2000s, Kelly relocated to Barcelona, where he worked with photographer José Manuel Ferrater.[13]

Career

Kelly subsequently moved to the United States and, as of 2013, he was based in Los Angeles.[14] His work has been published in magazines like Vanity Fair,[15] Playboy,[15] GQ,[16] and Cosmopolitan.[17] His work has been described by GQ España as "irreverent and provocative",[18] and by Photo magazine as "spontaneous and hyper-energetic".[19] Photo magazine also said that "his flashy style has conquered the world of fashion".[20]

Kelly has photographed public figures including Bono, Justin Bieber, Kate Upton, RuPaul, Emily Ratajkowski, Adam Levine, and Will Ferrell.[21]

His commissioned and commercial work has included collaborations with Faena Miami Beach, Oceanco, and St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, as well as campaigns for Estée Lauder, BMW, MAC Cosmetics, and Louis Vuitton.[21][22][23]

During the 2010s and 2020s, Kelly increasingly focused on fine art photography. His staged images frequently depict travel, hospitality, celebrity culture, and luxury through humorous or satirical scenarios.[5]

Exhibitions

Exhibitions at which Kelly's works have been shown include Pills, Pools, Planes at Art Angels, Los Angeles (2018), A Colourful Mind at Preiss Fine Arts, Vienna (2021), Red Room at Faena Miami Beach, Florida (2022), and an exhibition at Paradiso St. Moritz, Switzerland (2022).[6][7][8][24]

In 2024, he opened Tony Kelly World, a gallery and exhibition space in St. Moritz, Switzerland, dedicated to exhibiting his work.[9]

Publications

  • Tony's Toys (2014)
  • Taken! Entertaining Nudes by Tony Kelly (2016)
  • NOWHERE (2020), a self-published photography book documenting Los Angeles during the COVID-19 lockdown.[25]
  • FAENA (2021)
  • MIAMI (2024)[21]

Recognition

Kelly won a Clio Award in 2017 for campaign work connected to the television series Claws.[25]

Kelly's commissioned work for St. Regis Hotels & Resorts won in the "Images" category at the 18th Annual Shorty Awards and also received an "Audience Honor".[26]

Personal life

Kelly has lived in Los Angeles and Miami. He is married.[27]

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kelly participated in fundraising efforts supporting furloughed hospitality workers in Los Angeles through sales of his photographic works.[5][28]

References

  1. 1 2 Gittens, Geraldine (15 August 2012). "Our boy Tony makes it in Hollywood". The Herald. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  2. ↑ "Photographer Tony Kelly: Blow up". independent.ie. 19 September 2010. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  3. ↑ Mercel, Janet (23 October 2020). "Nowhere: Photographer Tony Kelly's Fine Art Culture Capture of L.A. In Lockdown". The Tidalist. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  4. ↑ "Bio". tonykellyphotography.com. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 Carter, Felicity (23 June 2020). "Tony Kelly Serves Up Unadulterated Glamour With His High-Octane Photography". forbes.com. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Pills, Pools, Planes". Artnet. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  7. 1 2 "A colourful mind by Tony Kelly". Artsy. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Faena Miami Beach Debuts a Seductive Exhibition by Photographer Tony Kelly". Galerie Magazine. 14 February 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  9. 1 2 "Tony Kelly World". St. Moritz Tourism. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  10. ↑ Wheeler, Scott (5 September 2017). "Fine art photographer Tony Kelly on his unique signature style". tempusmagazine.co.uk. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  11. ↑ "Fine art photographer Tony Kelly". Luxury Card Magazine. Archived from the original on 17 March 2025. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  12. ↑ "Photographer who took iconic picture of Liam Gallagher kissing Bono says snap 'turbo boosted' his career". irishmirror.ie. August 2025.
  13. ↑ "Fine art photographer Tony Kelly on his unique signature style". tempusmagazine.co.uk. September 2017.
  14. ↑ "Leaving LA: Snapper to the stars coming home". independent.ie. 23 June 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  15. 1 2 "Art - Q&A". irishtimes.com. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  16. ↑ Byrne, Katie (23 March 2014). "Welcome to La-la land: The Irish in Los Angeles". independent.ie. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  17. ↑ Hynes, Liadan (23 January 2017). "Adventures in La-LA land - an exclusive peek at Dubliner Tony Kelly's book of nudes". independent.ie. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  18. ↑ GQ España, Edition 134, June 2008, P.26
  19. ↑ Nathalie Cattaruzza, 2008. PHOTO magazine, Edition 447, March 2008, P.58
  20. ↑ Julie Hamaide, 2009. PHOTO magazine, Edition 461, July/August 2009, P.68
  21. 1 2 3 "Tony Kelly". teNeues. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  22. ↑ "Superyacht Influencer Interview: Fine Art Photographer Tony Kelly". Forbes. 29 October 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  23. ↑ "St. Regis Hotels & Resorts - Tony Kelly Fine Art Images". Shorty Awards. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  24. ↑ "Tony Kelly - artist, news & exhibitions". Photography-Now. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  25. 1 2 "Photographer Tony Kelly Takes Us NOWHERE". Thomas Fuchs Creative. 9 October 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  26. ↑ "18th Annual Shorty Awards Winners". Shorty Awards. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  27. ↑ "The Faena Questionnaire: Tony Kelly". Faena. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  28. ↑ "How the Art World Is Helping During the U.S. Coronavirus Shutdown". Joyce Rey. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
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