Sebastião Salgado, Renowned Documentary Photographer, Passes Away at 81

Salgado’s powerful black-and-white photographs documented humanity's struggles and triumphs throughout his extensive career, leaving a legacy that highlights the intersection between nature and culture.

Sebastião Salgado, the celebrated Brazilian photographer known for documenting the profound impacts of war, famine, and environmental destruction, has passed away at the age of 81. His captivating black-and-white work spanned 130 countries and took over 55 years to compile, capturing some of history's most pivotal moments.

Renowned for his unflinching lens, Salgado's photographs included harrowing depictions of the Rwandan genocide in 1994, the Gulf War's devastating oil fires in 1991, and the 1984 Sahel famine, showcasing the stark realities of human suffering against the backdrop of the natural world.

In a heartfelt tribute, the environmental organization Instituto Terra, which Salgado co-founded with his wife, Lélia Wanick Salgado, expressed that “his lens revealed the world and its contradictions," illustrating his life's mission to create transformative action through imagery.

Salgado's striking portfolio featured poignant pictures taken in Brazil, including unsettling portrayals of miners in open-cast gold mines and intimate glimpses of the Amazon's indigenous peoples. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva praised him as "one of the best... photographers the world has given us."

His most recent work, the "Amazônia" project, honed in on the delicate balance of the Amazon rainforest's beauty and vulnerability. Over seven years, he meticulously chronicled the everyday lives of various tribes, from their hunting practices to cultural ceremonies, culminating in an exhibition of over 200 evocative black-and-white images. This impactful showcase was held at the Science Museum in London and the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester in 2021 and 2022.

Reflecting on his illustrious career, Salgado grappled with the magnitude of his journeys: “Was it really me that spent years travelling to 130 different countries, who went deep inside the forests, into oil fields and mines?” His assertion that he is "probably one of the photographers who's created the most work in the history of photography" echoes his unparalleled contribution to the art form.

Born in 1944, Salgado shifted from a career in economics to pursue photography in 1973. He worked on notable international projects before founding Amazonas Images with Lélia in 1994. His contributions have earned him prestigious accolades, including the Sony World Photography Awards' Outstanding Contribution to Photography in 2024, the Prince of Asturias Award, and recognition as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

Through Instituto Terra, he and Lélia revitalized his family's Brazilian farm into a thriving rainforest, planting over three million trees. The institute's statement emphasized Salgado's impact, saying, "Sebastião was much more than one of the greatest photographers of our time... he sowed hope where there was devastation and embodied the belief that environmental restoration is a profound act of love for humanity."