Sebastião Salgado (1944–2025)

In Memory of Sebastião Salgado (1944 - 2025): A Visionary of Humanity and the Earth

Exhibition Amazonia, Zürich 2023

Today, the world of photography mourns the loss of one of its most powerful and poetic voices. Sebastião Salgado, the Brazilian documentary photographer and environmentalist, passed away at the age of 81. His death marks the end of an era, but his legacy will continue to shape the way we see the world—through the lens of empathy, dignity, and awe.

A Life Dedicated to Humanity and the Planet

Born in Aimorés, Brazil, in 1944, Salgado began his career not behind a camera, but in economics. It wasn’t until the early 1970s that he fully embraced photography, a decision that would lead him to become one of the most celebrated visual storytellers of our time. His black-and-white images, rich in contrast and emotion, captured the soul of laborers, migrants, indigenous communities, and the natural world with a rare depth and reverence.

Salgado’s major works "Workers," "Migrations," "Sahel," "Africa," "Gold," "Kuwait," "Genesis," and "Amazonia" are not just photographic projects; they are monumental human and environmental chronicles. His lens bore witness to the dignity of manual labor, the tragedy of displacement, and the sublime beauty of untouched landscapes. His 2021 exhibition Amazonia in Zürich was a breathtaking testament to the fragility and majesty of the rainforest, accompanied by immersive soundscapes and a call to protect what remains. I will be forever thankful to have witnessed this exceptional exhibition.

But Salgado was more than a photographer. Alongside his wife, Lélia Wanick Salgado, he co-founded Instituto Terra, a reforestation initiative that has restored thousands of hectares of Atlantic Forest in Brazil. His environmental work was not separate from his photography—it was an extension of his belief in the interconnectedness of all life.

A Personal Reflection: What Salgado Means to Me

Salgado’s work has been a guiding light in my own journey as a photographer. His humanistic approach, always respectful, never exploitative, taught me that photography is not just about aesthetics, but about ethics. His commitment to black-and-white imagery, with its timeless quality and emotional gravity, deeply influenced my own choice to work primarily in monochrome.

In my landscape photography, especially, I often find myself channeling Salgado’s sensibility. His series "Genesis" and "Amazonia" showed me how to see the Earth not just as scenery, but as a living, breathing entity worthy of reverence. His ability to convey silence, scale, and sacredness through light and shadow has shaped how I compose every frame.

Books like "Workers", "Migrations", "Gold" and many others sit on my shelf not just as references, but as companions. I return to them often, not only for inspiration, but to remind myself of the responsibility we carry as image-makers. His book "The Scent of a Dream", with its hauntingly beautiful documentation of coffee growers, is a masterclass in visual storytelling. And "Gold", with its harrowing images of the Serra Pelada mine, remains one of the most powerful photographic documents I’ve ever encountered.

A Legacy That Will Endure

Sebastião Salgado’s passing is a profound loss, but his vision endures. He showed us that photography can be a force for awareness, for justice, and for healing. He believed in the power of images to change hearts and minds—and he proved it, time and again.

As I continue my own work, I carry his influence with me. In every shadowed mountain, every textured cloud, every quiet moment of light, there is a trace of Salgado’s spirit. His legacy is not just in galleries or books—it lives in the way we choose to see, and to care.

Rest in peace, maestro. Thank you for showing us the world with such grace.