Vanderperre's career as an internationally renowned photographer of the "Antwerp Six" was kick-started with “an exhibition and Terry Jones from i-D magazine picked up on it.” Vanderperre is now a regular contributor to Love, W Magazine, AnOther Magazine, Another Man, Vogue Hommes International and American Vogue. Commercial campaign highlights include Raf Simons , Christian Dior, Dior Homme, Jil Sander and Prada, while the photographer has also lensed the likes of A$AP Rocky and Millie Bobby Brown.
Born in Flanders, Belgium in 1971, Willy Vanderperre studied fashion at Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts before switching courses to take up photography.
Whilst at the Academy, made famous by the “Antwerp Six,” Vandeperre first met the friends who would become his closest collaborators: Raf Simons, Olivier Rizzo and Peter Philips . Toying with ideas of isolation, emotion, youth and drawing on inspiration from his rural home area has informed the photographer's work
In 2015. Vanderperre published "635," a book that recorded each and everyone of his Instagram posts, until the point of the publication’s printing. Shortly after, Vanderperre released the second of the chronology, "865", recording each photo posted since the debut of the first volume. The photographer also released "485", a book featuring 485 pieces of fan art.
January 2016 saw the premiere of Willy Vanderperre’s film Naked Heartland take place at London’s Institute of Contemporary Art, marking his debut as a film director. An accompanying book, described as "a concentration of stills from the film," was also released. It too highlights Vanderperre’s consistent and longterm preoccupation with youth, isolation and the redemptive power of pop culture; a refrain that echoes throughout Willy Vanderperre’s career and images. In 2018, the photographer staged his first ever European solo exhibition in London.
