Kwaku Alston named Outstanding Alumnus
Billy Bennight
Kwaku Alston ’94 (photography) will be presented with the Outstanding Alumnus award during Academic Convocation on May 9.
Kwaku Alston ’94 (photography) has been named RIT’s Outstanding Alumnus for 2024-2025. Established by the Office of the President in 1952, it is the highest honor RIT can bestow upon a graduate.
“To receive this award is an honor and it reaffirms that I’m on the right path,” said Alston. “It also comes with a responsibility and great opportunity to do something incredible and leave my mark here. Not just for me, but for the students who have come after me.”
Kwaku Alston
Alston’s portrait of Beyoncé is one of a series of portraits he created to promote the 2019 movie, The Lion King.
Alston is a photographer and director based in Los Angeles who specializes in celebrity, editorial, and advertising portraits. After graduating from RIT, Alston got his start in New York City working with major magazines and ad agencies. Today, his many and diverse clients include The New York Times Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, The New Yorker, Apple, Amazon Studios, Disney, Sony Music, Netflix, and HBO.
When it comes to his portrait subjects, Alston has photographed some of the “most famous faces” of our time—including Barack and Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, Willie Nelson, Chadwick Boseman, Brad Pitt, and a host of other Oscar and Grammy winners.
His portrait of actress Betty White inspired the 2025 United States Postal Service’s Commemorative Forever Stamp.
Kwaku Alston
Kwaku Alston has photographed former President Barack Obama and his family on multiple occasions.
Alston always carries a camera with him in anticipation of being inspired by things happening in everyday life.
The key to success in a creative industry, he says, is for artists to stay dedicated and in-tune with their heart and gut instincts.
“I don’t have much time to sit back and reflect on each photo I’ve taken. When I look back, it’s all a blur and feels like a dream,” said Alston. “Surviving for this long and flourishing in this industry is incredible. I just keep moving and keep pushing forward, and I’m grateful that people keep hiring me to do what I love.”
The award will be presented to Alston during Academic Convocation on May 9.
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