About

Pieter Henket is a Dutch photographer living and working in New York City, known for a photographic style inspired by 17th-century painting. His notable work includes photographing Congolese nationals enacting their mythologies in the Congo rainforest for the photo series and book Congo Tales, published by Random House in 2018. The series received international attention and was featured on the front page of The New York Times Arts section, the front page of The New York Times International Edition, as well as on PBS NewsHour, National Public Radio, Public Radio International, BBC Radio, and numerous other global media outlets.

His other published books include The Way I See It (Uitgeverij De Kunst, 2013) and Stars to the Sun (Lannoo/Racine, 2014). Henket is also widely known for his celebrity portraiture, including shooting the cover of Lady Gaga’s debut album The Fame.

His work is held in numerous private and museum collections worldwide, including the permanent collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. His photography has been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Museum de Fundatie in the Netherlands, and the Museum Barberini in Germany. Congo Tales was also presented as the main artistic installation representing the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the 2021 World Expo in Dubai.

He is currently completing Birds of Mexico City, a new photo series and monograph to be released in Spring 2026. He is also developing Wings of Light, a collaborative project with Ukrainian refugee ballet dancers that explores displacement, resilience, and the power of art in times of war.

Alongside his fine art practice, Henket co-founded Boom Productions Inc. in New York City with his husband, Roger Inniss. The company produces high-level photo and video campaigns for some of the world’s leading fashion and advertising brands, extending his visual language into the commercial sphere.

 Solo Exhibitions

Congo Tales

Museum De Fundatie, The Netherlands

Sep 14th 2019 - Jan 5Th 2020

Congo Tales

Museum Barberini, Germany

June 30th - Okt 21st 2018

The way I see it

Museum de Fundatie, The Netherlands

July 1st - Nov 17th 2013

Congo Tales

Photo 2021 Australia

Peter O'Callaghan QC Gallery

February 18 - March 7, 2021

 Group Exhibitions

Dutch Identity

Museum de Fundatie, The Netherlands

Jan 16th - April 17th 2016

American Woman

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

May 5th - Aug 15th 2010

New Horizons

RijksMuseum Amsterdam

June 30th - Sept 1st 2023