The photographer of light, color, creativity, always off the beaten track, Oliviero Toscani died Monday at the age of 82 at Cecina hospital, in Tuscany. He was admitted there on January 10 after his health worsened.
“It is with immense sadness that we announce the news that today, January 13, 2025, our beloved Oliviero has embarked on his next journey,” a statement signed by his wife Kirsti and children to the Italian agency ansa.
He had suffered from amyloidosis for two years, as he revealed in a shocking interview with Corriere della Sera on August 28. He had lost 40 kg in a year and was undergoing experimental treatment.
Oliviero Toscani owes his fame to his campaigns for the Italian fashion house Benetton, which were as cult as they were controversial. In Zurich, at the end of September, he visited the “Photography and provocation” exhibition at the Design Museum (Museum für Gestaltung) for one of his last public appearances. He trained at the Zurich School of Applied Arts.
Revolution in advertising communication
His photographs cause sensation, upset and outrage: photographer, creative director and photo editor, Oliviero Toscani has written history and revolutionized advertising communication. He owes his fame to his campaigns for the Italian fashion house Benetton, which are as cult as they are controversial.
After training in Zurich, Toscani immersed himself in street photography in New York and joined Andy Warhol’s legendary Factory. In Europe, he made a name for himself as a fashion and advertising photographer. Visual provocation becomes his trademark.
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