Platon was born on 20 April 1968 in Greece. His father was a Greek architect and illustrator and his mother is an art historian. Platon is currently married and has two children. He was raised in Greece and moved to England at the age of 8. Platon studied graphic design at Saint Martin's School of Art where he encountered his first experience with photography. He went on to receive his masters in fine arts from the Royal College of Art where he met his instructor and mentor, John Hind of Vogue.
Platon's father helped him develop an understanding of form and texture through the principles of Modernism reflected in his bold no distraction style. His graphic design education influences how he takes his photographs by shooting with the final graphic treatment in mind. Platon aims to capture the truth, to find it in the subject and bring it out. He works with limited sessions for photo shoots, which make the photographs more intense and authentic.
The People's Portfolio
Platon founded The People's Portfolio, a non-profit organization. Platon photographs those who are fighting for civil and human rights, giving a voice to those who are unheard. His portfolios include photographs of Burmese victims and exiles, Egyptian revolutionaries, and those fighting against oppression in Russia. Platon has also photographed and interviewed women from the Congo who have experienced sexual violence. He has collaborated with the Human Rights Watch, The New Yorker, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, ExxonMobil and the UN Foundation. Through the People's Portfolio, Platon aims to raise awareness of those facing oppression.
Notable works
Platon has photographed many well known leaders. Bill Clinton was the first president that he worked with and photographed. Other photographs of well known leaders include Donald Trump, Muammar al Qaddafi, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Muhammad Ali. His photograph of Vladimir Putin was on the cover of Time in 2007. Platon's first solo exhibition was held at the Leica Gallery in New York and showcased documentary photographs from Colombia and India. He currently has three published books. His book Platon's Republic was published in 2004 featuring his photographs of prominent figures commissioned by magazines. Service Platon is a collection of photographs that highlight the physical and psychological wounds and courage of soldiers and their families. Power Platon, published in 2011 is a historical record of prominent political figures of the twenty-first century. Platon was profiled in the first season of the Netflix docu-series .
