By Instituto Gilberto Gil
By Cristina Doria and Juliana Amorim
Gil always took special care with his image. That's why he chose the best photographers for his album covers and the promotion of his shows. Many photographers became friends and accompanied the artist at various points in his career, but one in particular has a rich collection from his time in the 70s, 80s and 90s: Mario Luiz Thompson.
Gilberto Gil durante show em uma foto que compõe o livro Gil 60 - Todas as Contas (1985)Instituto Gilberto Gil
Gil talking about Mario
"The thousands of clicks of his camera have been, all these years, his harmonious response to our popular song. Mario and his machine for singing and playing photographs" (Gil in the book Bem te vi - Música Popular Brasileira, 2001)
The family photographer: Lita Cerqueira. Besides photographing concerts, our friend and now award-winning photographer Lita Cerqueira was always capturing family moments.
Another artist who spent a significant amount of time – around 15 years – accompanying Gilberto Gil on stage and created a great album was Priscila Casaes Franco. On one of these trips, she took the cover photo for the album Kaya N'Gan Daya.
Gil has been on magazine covers several times and has done photo shoots as a "model." Daniel Klajmic's cover for Rolling Stone and Bob Wolfenson's cover for Elle are good examples.
Others who have recently done iconic rehearsals with Gilberto Gil include Leo Aversa, Daryan Dornelles, and Aderi Costa.
Gilberto Gil trajado de Filho de Gandhy, em 2020, durante o último dia oficial do carnaval baiano (2020-02-25)Instituto Gilberto Gil
Authority in photography
Photographer Ricardo Stuckert, who works with President Lula, has also become a friend of the family. From Carnival in Salvador to stages across Brazil, Stuckert also takes advantage of backstage moments for family photos.
In recent years, photographer Geovane Peixoto has done several projects with Gilberto Gil.
In March 2025, Elle magazine published three different covers featuring material from the photoshoot by the duo Mar + Vin.
Other photos of the same duo could also have been used as a cover.
Ensaio fotográfico para a turnê Tempo Rei (2024-04-12) by Giovanni Bianco e Fernando TomazInstituto Gilberto Gil
Photo shoot for Tempo Rei
With photography by Fernando Tomaz and art direction by Giovanni Bianco, the photo shoot for Tempo Rei - The Last Tour, was carried out in 2024 and continues to draw praise from fans.
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