Wolfgang Tillmans - Time Magazine

Wolfgang Tillmans has relentlessly pushed the boundaries of photography. A decade before camera phones, he recognized the power of capturing unguarded portraits of LGTBQIA+ people and their communities, helping to destigmatize queer life during the AIDS crisis. The German artist also pioneered a style of colorful abstract chemical prints that have become among the most sought-after contemporary photographs, with auction prices surpassing $750,000. 

Since he became the first photographer (and first non-British artist) to win the Turner Prize in 2000, Tillmans’ images have infiltrated pop culture, gracing more than 50 book and album covers, including Frank Ocean’s Blonde. His Between Bridges foundation, started in 2017, supports LGBTQIA+ rights and anti-racist activism. 

Following a critically lauded 2025 survey at the Pompidou in Paris, “Nothing Could Have Prepared Us—Everything Could Have Prepared Us,” Tillmans opened a solo show at the city’s Galerie Chantal Crousel in September, and is included in two major international biennials. In May, he won the $185,000 Roswitha Haftmann Prize, Europe’s largest monetary art award, affirming his status as one of today’s most potent photographers.