Persona

Product Description
In this limited edition, French makeup legend, beauty mogul, and esteemed photographer François Nars unveils his long-awaited collection of more than 300 new photographs—dramatic and provocative portraits of creative figures of all ages that capture the beauty and essence of each persona. \nPersona reveals an extraordinary production of cinematic, avant-garde portraits of an exclusive list of contemporary creative icons. The celebrities, artists, designers, musicians, and actors featured include Tilda Swinton, Naomi Campbell, Kyle MacLachlan, Sharon Stone, Bella Hadid, Isabelle Adjani, Cindy Sherman, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Marina Abramovic, Liv Tyler, Christian Lacroix, Tadao Ando, and Marianne Faithfull.\nNars has never sought to hide the imperfections and oddities that give faces their personality, but rather to accentuate them in dramatic and surprising ways—think bold, dark, painstakingly crafted eyes offset by clear, almost bare skin. The arresting images in this volume, shot in color against a rich black background with dramatic lighting, explore themes of provocation, sharp humor, and unconventional beauty, always with an edgy dose of glamour.\nThis undoubtedly unique and gorgeous volume, printed using specialty inks to produce images in ultrarich vibrant colors with high gloss, is a true collector’s item for style, culture, and photography enthusiasts alike.
Review
"The particular skill of legendary makeup artist François Nars lies in his ability to reveal the true personality of a subject’s face, via both expert application and photography. 300 such examples are chronicled in a new oversized volume, Persona, which captures creative figures of all ages in colour images shot against a rich black background. Noted subjects cast in their best light include Tilda Swinton, Naomi Campbell, Bella Hadid, and Sharon Stone." —AIR MAGAZINE\n"Persona is the ultimate and quintessential definition of the genre classified as coffee table books. Its sheer weight of over 20 pounds and its monumental size can only be categorized as an astounding accomplishment and achievement by both author and photographer, François Nars, and by Rizzoli. . . There really are not enough superlatives to properly describe this assemblage of portraiture given the volume’s physicality and presentation. It is easy to feel gobsmacked by its content, presentation, and the artist who created it." —NEW YORK JOURNAL OF BOOKS
About the Author
François Nars, makeup artist and founder of the luxe makeup brand NARS Cosmetics, launched his eponymous line with 12 cult-favorite lipsticks in 1994 and is the author of six books showcasing his photographic work.