Renowned social critic and nature enthusiast, acclaimed photographer Salgado passes away.
Brazilian Photographer Sebastião Salgado Passes Away at 81
Rio de Janeiro — Renowned photographer Sebastião Salgado, who documented human suffering, captured the beauty of nature, and championed environmental protection, passed away at the age of 81.
Salgado made his mark with poignant images of war zones, refugee camps, and harsh labor conditions. Despite the grim subjects, his photographs exuded a disturbing beauty. His portraits, such as those of workers in Brazil's Serra Pelada mine, featured an aesthetic precision that highlighted their resilience.
Critics sometimes dubbed him the "aesthete of misery," a title he seemed to embrace, using his art to shine a light on injustice and inequity.
Born on February 8, 1944, in Aimorés, Minas Gerais, Salgado studied economics before being drawn to photography. Following a life-changing trip to Africa in 1973, he pursued photography full-time, working for esteemed agencies such as Sygma, Gamma, and Magnum.
His career took an environmental turn when he returned to his family's farm in Brazil, where he reforested the land and established the non-profit "Instituto Terra." In 1998, the land was transformed into a nature reserve, and millions of trees have since been planted.
Late in his career, Salgado focused on nature photography, capturing impressive landscapes and intense animal images. His work on "Genesis" showcased elephants trekking through stormy African savannahs, majestic lions with disheveled manes, and seals barking with wide-open mouths.
Throughout his career, Salgado won numerous awards, including the World Press Photo Award (1985), the Grand Prix National de la Photographie (1994), and the Prince of Asturias Award (1998). He collaborated with organizations such as UNICEF, Amnesty International, and Doctors Without Borders. In 2019, he became the first photographer to receive the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade.
Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva paid tribute to Salgado, saying, "His outrage at the inequality in the world and his tenacious talent for portraying the reality of the oppressed serve as a wake-up call to the conscience of all humanity." He added that Salgado's work would continue to be a "cry for solidarity" and a reminder of the importance of "solidarity in our diversity."
Salgado's photographic legacy will continue to inspire and provoke thought, reminding us of the world's inequalities and the need for joy and beauty in the face of adversity.
Notable Achievements of Sebastião Salgado
- 1986: City of Paris/Kodak Award for Other Americas, his first photographic book documenting Latin American peasants
- 1998: Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts
- 2000: Publication of Migrations: Humanity in Transition
- 2013: Release of Genesis
- 2015: Wim Wenders’s documentary The Salt of the Earth
- 2016: Publication of Kuwait: A Desert on Fire
- 2019: Release of Gold
- 2021: Praemium Imperiale by the Japan Art Association; Publication of Amazônia
While Sebastião Salgado gained fame for his poignant depictions of human suffering and hardship, his latter years were marked by a shift towards environmental science and the lifestyle movement of home-and-garden preservation. This transition was exemplified in his work on reforesting his family's land in Brazil and the establishment of the non-profit "Instituto Terra." Additionally, his photographic series, "Genesis," showcased the beauty of environmental-science in various landscapes and wildlife, thus broadening the scope of his artistic career.
