About

”Discovering Daniel was akin to unearthing a hidden gem in the rough, a raw talent whose intuitive grasp of narrative and form brought an unexpected vitality to our campaigns at Assouline. His contributions not only elevated our signature titles but also reminded us of the quiet power in unassuming brilliance.”

- Martine Assouline, ASSOULINE CEO, 2011

Benoît Daniel-Pham, editorial, fashion photography, fashion illustration, journalist

Artist at his summer studio, working on an Assouline's project, 2012

Benoît Daniel-Pham stands as a singular luminary of his generation, an unparalleled force in the realms of fine art photography, cinematography, collage, creative direction, illustration, and fashion journalism, whose self-taught prowess, honed from a remarkably young age, forged exceptional achievements that indelibly reshaped the fashion and publishing industries. This distinctive positioning, profoundly shaped by his mixed background growing up amid diverse cultural currents, endowed him with a hybridized lens that infused his creations with rare, multifaceted resonance. Among these milestones, he became the youngest independent artist under Assouline at eighteen, crafting innovative creative works for the esteemed publishing house, including pivotal international campaigns for its signature titles and collaborations with luxury clients such as Chanel and Valentino, alongside New York Times best-selling authors. This early involvement established a body of work attuned to fine art, luxury, and editorial themes, enriched by thoughtful essays on lifestyle, travel, and fashion. As an inveterate traveler, the artist held an abiding reverence for street photography and documentary forms, wielding them to extract unvarnished authenticity from the ephemeral pulses of global existence — works that have since been showcased through platforms such as National Geographic, Lonely Planet and Condé Nast Traveler.

Further elevating his trajectory, the artist received mentorship from industry titans including Karl Lagerfeld, Franca Sozzani, Michel Comte, Valentino Garavani and Federico Marchetti, among others, whose profound guidance set and shaped his distinctive artistic vision. Pivotal among these encounters were his initial meetings with Lagerfeld and Garavani in 2011, forged through the execution of international campaigns for Assouline; these serendipitous alliances soon evolved into profound patronage, with the legends taking him under their wings and positioning him as an industry's secret weapon, entrusting him with bespoke executions for the houses of Chanel and Valentino that would define his ascent. Equally indelible was his bond with Sozzani, Vogue Italia's Editor-In-Chief, where he was fortunate to receive her direct tutelage during her final months, a mentorship that infused his practice with her unyielding editorial acuity until her passing in 2016.

This foundation propelled him to deliver bespoke works for iconic fashion houses such as Chanel, Dior, and Hermès, while his contributions graced the pages of prestigious publications including Vogue Italia - where, at twenty-one, he became the first and youngest artist of Vietnamese origin in history to be published and interviewed, alongside the Condé Nast family publishing medias, such as Vogue China, Vogue India, Vogue Japan, L'Officiel, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Grazia, and GQ. His exhibitions, held in cities across the world, from Paris and Barcelona to Shanghai, Bali, and New York City, offered viewers a window into his explorations. Conceiving art as an inexhaustible odyssey unbound by convention, he transcended limitations through audacious experimentation and the alchemy of disparate media-merging venerable traditions of painting, printmaking, performance, installation, and mixed media with vanguard explorations in photography and animation. This interdisciplinary vision birthed works of arresting originality, while his immersion in the art-fashion symbiosis affirmed its inexorable evolution, driven by audacious pioneers who dare to recast its foundations.

Since 2018, the artist has eschewed active engagement in these domains, channeling his singular vitality toward pursuits beyond the professional sphere. Throughout his career and continuing to the present day, he has remained a steadfast philanthropist, directing royalties from the enduring licensing of his creative works to support orphanages in Vietnam, one of his ancestral homelands, while also orchestrating private fundraisers for the International Red Cross through global exhibitions of his photography and artwork, from the hallowed halls of Perrotin in Paris and Gagosian in New York City to the vibrant Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai. These ongoing contributions underscore a quiet commitment to humanitarian causes, extending the impact of his artistry far beyond its aesthetic confines.

This digital platform endures solely as an archival sanctum, safeguarding the enduring testament of his transformative contributions for scholarly reflection and appreciation. Benoît Daniel-Pham remains wholly unavailable for commissions, collaborations, or any allied pursuits.