b.1958 in Zell am Harmersbach. An internationally renowned German photographer who lives and works in Düsseldorf. Thomas Ruff studied photography from 1977 to 1985 with Bernd and Hilla Becher at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf (Düsseldorf Art Academy). From 2000 to 2005 Ruff taught Photography at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf (the previous "Becher-Class").