Chatham House is holding an exhibition of the work of specialist portrait photographer Ander McIntyre on 9 July during its annual London Conference.
Shaping Global Order documents the extraordinary range of international figures who have spoken at Chatham House over the last 15 years, as part of the institute’s mission to convene meetings of the people and organizations that can bring about change.
Portrait of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy taken at Chatham House in 2025 by Ander McIntyre
The exhibition includes current world leaders Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Alexander Stubb; former world leaders Theresa May, Helen Clark, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Jimmy Carter, Joe Biden, Jacinda Ardern and Julia Gillard; and prominent politicians including Valerie Amos, Hillary Clinton, Stacey Abrams and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
Also featured are significant figures from civil society such as Maria Ressa, Melinda French Gates, Tawakkol Karman, Amartya Sen and Sir David Attenborough; business people and entrepreneurs such as Lujain Al Ubaid and Anne-Marie Imafidon; and United Nations leaders such as Kofi Annan and Mary Robinson.
Ander McIntyre
McIntyre’s path to photography was unconventional. After studying English Literature at Oxford and working as a writer, editor, and picture researcher, he began photographing portraits for Oxford Today magazine.
Portrait of Baroness Amos taken by Ander McIntyre at Chatham House in 2018.
Rejecting the confrontational style often used by portrait photographers, he developed a simple philosophy based on civility, trust, and speed.
Working with just one camera and minimal equipment, McIntyre aims to make himself almost invisible.
His portrait sessions often last no more than ten seconds, allowing him to capture people before they adopt the carefully rehearsed expressions expected in front of a camera.
Rather than directing or staging his subjects, he asks them to do almost nothing believing that genuine character emerges in quiet, unguarded moments.
His long-running project, Portraits of an Establishment, explores the people who shape the modern world. The series includes political leaders, intelligence chiefs, economists, academics, activists, and cultural figures, revealing them not through status or spectacle, but through humanity.
A portrait of Alexander Stubb by Ander McIntyre
Joseph Osayande, curator of the Chatham House exhibition, said:
‘Whether photographing a former president, a Nobel Prize winner, or a leading scientist, Ander McIntyre seeks authenticity over perfection
‘He creates portraits that are both understated and deeply revealing.
‘His work reminds us that behind every public figure is an individual, and that sometimes the most powerful portrait is made not through elaborate production, but through patience, observation, and the brief moment when someone simply stops performing.’