Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Ian Youngs
Cultural reporter
Ghetto imagesSebastiao Salgado, considered one of the largest documentaries in the world, died at the age of 81.
The Brazil-born photographer was known for his dramatic and unwavering black and white images of difficulties, conflict and natural beauty, filmed in 130 countries over 55 years.
His stubborn photographs chronicle major global events such as the Rwanda genocide in 1994, burning oil deposits at the end of the Gulf War in 1991 and hunger in the Africa Sahel region in 1984.
“His lens revealed the world and his contradictions; his life, the power of transformative actions,” said a statement from the Institute Terra, the environmental organization that he founded with his wife Lelia Wianik Salgado.
Ghetto imagesSome of his most striking photos have been taken in his home country, including epic photos of thousands of desperate figures working in open gold mines and striking images of the Amazon’s indigenous population.
Brazilian President Louis Inasio Lula da Silva paid tribute, describing Salgado as “one of the best … photographers the world has given us.”
Salgado’s latest major project, Amazônia, noticed Rainforest’s beauty and instability.
Philip Reynaers/Photonews/Getty ImagesProtector throughout the life of the Native Amazon population, Salgado documents the daily life of a dozen tribes scattered throughout the tropical forest – from expeditions for hunting and fishing, to dances and rituals.
He spent seven years on an ambitious photographic trip by exploring the remote trends of the Amazon tropical forests and documents its inhabitants.
The project ended with an exhibition presenting over 200 black and white images, offering a touching view of the landscapes and communities in the region.
The Amazônia exhibition is shown at the Museum of Science in London and the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester in 2021 and 2022.
Benjamin Cremel/AFP via Getty Images“Sometimes I wonder,” Sebastiao, did I really go to all these places? ” He told an interviewer last yearS
“Did I really spend years traveling to 130 different countries that entered the forests, into oil fields and mines?
“A boy, it’s really me who did this. I’m probably one of the photographers who created the most work in the history of photography.”
Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP through Getty Images)Born in 1944, Salgado left a career in the economy to start as a photographer in 1973.
He works on international tasks for various photographic agencies before forming his own images on Amazonas, with Lélia in 1994.
He received the exclusive contribution of the Sony World Photography Awards for photography in 2024.
Other confessions included the Prince of Asturias and the recognition of Ambassador of Goodwill Unicef.
Alessandro di Marco/EPA-EFEThrough Instituto Terra, Salgado and Lélia, they have also restored their father’s farm in Brazil to flourish tropical forests by planting more than three million trees.
The institute’s statement added: “Sebastiao was much more than one of the largest photographers of our time.
“Along with his partner in life, Lelia Delouis Woik Salgado, he sowed hope where there was devastation and revived the conviction that the restoration of the environment was also a deep act of love for humanity.”