Allan Amato

• Name — Allan Amato • Born — 18 July 1974 • Birthplace — Harare, Zimbabwe • Field — Photography • Website — http: allanamato.com/ • Awards — See article

Amato was born in Harare, Zimbabwe and emigrated to the United States at age 13 due to political instability. He initially worked in advertising and bartending in New Orleans.

After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Amato relocated to Houston, Texas, where he began pursuing photography professionally. He later moved to Los Angeles and began photographing artists, writers, and creatives, including Amanda Palmer, Kevin Smith, and Terry Gilliam. In 2012, Amato began the Temple of Art project, originally conceived as a gallery show in Los Angeles, which expanded into a book and then a feature-length documentary, co-created with filmmaker Olga Nunes. The documentary profiles artists including Grant Morrison, Bill Sienkiewicz, Brian Thies, Barron Storey, Amanda Palmer, David Mack, Dave McKean, and others, discussing their creative process and philosophies. The film premiered in 2018. Amato's book Slip: Naked in Your Own Words (Baby Tattoo Books, 2016) features sixty nude portraits and interviews, exploring themes of nudity and societal shame. In interviews and podcasts, Amato has emphasized fostering a safe, collaborative environment for subjects, encouraging vulnerability and authentic self-expression. He has contributed as a producer and photographer to other documentary and multimedia projects, such as The Death of "Superman Lives": What Happened? (2015). In addition to Temple of Art and Slip, Amato has published and contributed to other works, including Seraph and the Punch series, which explore identity and the human form.

Amato has discussed his life and work on podcasts such as Cutting For Sign.

• Slip: Naked In Your Own Words – photographer/author (Baby Tattoo Books, 2016) • Temple of Art – photographer/author (Baby Tattoo Books, 2014) • Seraph (Baby Tattoo Books, 2016) • Punch, Vol. 1 and Punch, Vol. 2 (contributor)

• In 2016, Amato was nominated for the APN AltPorn Awards for Best Alternative Erotica Photographer of 2015.