Leslie Kee facts for kids
Leslie Kee (born April 5, 1971) is a famous photographer from Singapore. He is known for his amazing photos of celebrities and fashion. Leslie now lives and works in Japan.
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Early Life and First Camera
Leslie Kee was born in Singapore on April 5, 1971. He grew up with his mother in a small home. They were very poor and did not have family nearby to help them. Leslie went to Bukit Ho Swee East School and Victoria School. He was a quiet student.
When Leslie was 13 years old, his mother gave him a Minolta camera. This gift sparked his interest in photography. It became a big part of his dream. From age 13 to 19, Leslie worked at a Japanese electronics factory. After serving two years in the army, he saved all his money. He then moved to Japan in 1993, a country that had inspired him since he was a teenager.
Building a Photography Career
When Leslie arrived in Tokyo, he faced a language barrier. To learn Japanese, he studied at a local school. For five years, Leslie worked three jobs every day. He was known for sleeping only three hours a night! He saved his money to follow his dream of becoming a photographer.
In 1997, Leslie graduated from Tokyo Visual Arts School, where he studied photography. He was jobless for about a year. Then, in 1998, a famous magazine called City Magazine from Hong Kong hired him. He got to photograph the top Asian actor, Takeshi Kaneshiro, for their cover.
The magazine Vogue Taiwan was very impressed with Leslie's talent. They asked him to be the first Asian photographer to work for Vogue in Asia. For nearly 20 years, Leslie has continued to shoot photos for VOGUE.
Famous Works and Clients
Leslie Kee is known for his lively fashion photos and portraits of famous people. He has worked as a photographer and film director. His work has been seen in many top magazines. These include VOGUE, GQ, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, and Rolling Stone Magazine.
He has photographed many world-famous celebrities, such as Madonna, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Yoko Ono, Kate Moss, One Direction, and Jackie Chan.
Leslie has also worked for big advertising clients. Some of these include Gap, H&M, Adidas, Shiseido, Levi's, Lexus, Uniqlo, and Tiffany.
Charity Work and Influence
Leslie Kee is well known for creating special art books and photo exhibitions for charity. He works with famous people from around the world to raise money and help those in need.
For his first charity photobook, SUPER STARS (2006), he gave all the money to help victims of the Sumatra Tsunami Earthquake. In 2011, his fifth charity photobook, LOVE & HOPE, helped victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake. For this, he received a special award called the 40th APA METI Minister’s Award.
In 2014, Leslie was the first photographer in Asia to be a main speaker for Ted Talk. In 2015, he started a big project called "Out In Japan." This project helps support equality for all people in Asia.
Currently, Leslie is the official photographer for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Paralympics portrait messages project. He is working with NHK Broadcasting on this.
Leslie's work is very popular in New York and Paris. However, he chose to return to Asia after living in New York for 10 years. He is seen as one of the most important fashion and portrait photographers in Asian art history. His life and work inspire young artists, especially students in Japan, China, Singapore, Korea, and all of Southeast Asia.
Photo Exhibitions
Leslie Kee has held more than 100 photo exhibitions over 20 years. Here are some of them:
- PRESENT BY LESLIE KEE (2001 August)
- SUPER ICON/SUPER FANTASY (2005 May)
- SUPER STARS (2006 November)
- LOVE & HOPE (2011 May)
- SUPER LADY GAGA (2011 November)
- OUT IN JAPAN x GAP (2015 April)
- WE ARE LOVE Photo Exhibition (2018 November)
