Dear Shaded Viewers,
Gustavo and I met in the mid-90s when I was the fashion editor for Joyce Ma’s JOYCE Magazine. During that time, I had the pleasure of styling several shoots for the magazine, and Gustavo Ten Hoever was always my photographer of choice. The shoots were always a funny and inspiring experience that lingers in my memory, as his images were both poetic and deeply evocative.
Born in Uruguay, Gustavo studied photography in Montevideo before moving to New York in 1986, where he began his career. His work spans decades and continents, showcasing a profound connection to both nature and humanity. Gustavo’s first exhibition, Full Moon People, focused on indigenous communities in the Brazilian Amazon—a project that set the tone for his spiritual approach to photography. Since his first exhibition in 1992, Ten Hoever has exhibited internationally, with shows in New York, London, Paris, Gstaad, and Hong Kong. His work has appeared in publications such as The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, French & American Vogue, and I-D Magazine, and he has collaborated with brands including Hermès, Comme des Garçons, Martin Margiela, Chaumet and Joyce Ma.
What sets Gustavo apart is his poetic vision. He seeks to capture not just the physical beauty of his subjects but their essence—whether it’s a person, a place, or a fleeting moment. His photographs are imbued with a calm yet dreamlike quality, often influenced by literature and poetry. His latest obsession is with the book On the Road by Jack Kerouac, a defining work of the Beat Generation. Over the years, his focus has shifted from fashion towards personal projects that explore themes of nature’s resilience and humanity’s interplay with time and space.
When we met today Gustavo was preparing for his exhibition at ARC Fine Art LLC which opens on April 12th in Connecticut. His work remains a testament to his ability to transform ordinary scenes into extraordinary narratives—a gift that made him indispensable during our collaborations at JOYCE Magazine. Below is the cover image from one of our last shoots for JOYCE in the 90’s. It brings to mind a conversation I had with Italian journalist Stefano Tonchi, who once remarked that if I were working for Condé Nast and dared to feature a mature model on the cover, they’d escort me to the elevator and push the button down. It’s interesting how times have changed—today, we celebrate age both in print and on the runway.
Gustavo Ten Hoever is a humanist artist and candid landscape photographer. Working primarily with film photography, his images are perceived as meditative or transformative photography, leaving lasting aesthetics emotions in viewers. Describing his approach to photography, he states: “for me, my cameras are like keys that open doors. I walk in quietly and shoot.
https://www.arcfineartllc.com/gustavo-tenhoever
Later,
Diane
