Zed Nelson started his career in reportage and documentary photography, working in some of the harshest and most lawless areas of the world. Nelson survived a machine-gun ambush in Afghanistan, caught malaria in Angola, and witnessed Somalia’s deadly civil war. Being environmentally and politically aware pushed him to explore George Bush’s Texas and returning soldiers from Iraq. ‘Gun Nation’ - a disturbing reflection on America’s obsession with the gun - is one of Nelson’s best-known projects. Published in twelve countries, winning five major international photography awards and published as a book, it is regarded by many as the definitive body of work on the subject.
Recent work includes Fat Nation - America’s growing obesity, a journey inside Rio’s female prisons, and an intimate look at Iran’s obsession with nose jobs. Recent portraits and album covers for bands include Oasis, Coldplay, The Rolling Stones, the Strokes and Dirty Pretty Things. Nelson's work is challenging and diverse, but always about people, and the world we make for ourselves. From iconic portraits to thought-provoking reportage, Zed Nelson's images form a compelling picture of life today.
Editorial Guardian, Observer, Sunday Times and Telegraph magazine. GQ, Esquire, LIFE, Time and Stern. Advertising Budweiser, Vodaphone, British Heart Foundation, Fairtrade, Sega. Fat Face. Exhibitions National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain, Victoria and Albert Museum. Solo shows Newseum - New York, Kulturehuset – Stockholm, Oksnehallen – Copenhagen, Westzone Gallery – London, AoP Gallery – London.