![Sebastião Salgado: Humanity in Photos | [Year]](https://i0.wp.com/media.newyorker.com/photos/683a20a8269248d2cce75d3d/16%3A9/w_1280%2Cc_limit/Wiley-Salgado-Kuwait-1991.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1 "Sebastião Salgado: Humanity in Photos | [Year]")
Sebastião Salgado: Humanity in Photos | [Year]
Sebastião Salgado’s photography transcends mere images—it’s a powerful testament to human resilience, meticulously documented by the lens of a master. This article delves into Salgado’s defense of his work,exploring his project “exodus” and its focus on community among migrants and refugees. Discover how his Rwandan refugee camp experience led to a personal crisis and temporary retirement, and how reforestation ignited his passion for photography once more. News Directory 3 highlights the transformative power of Salgado’s Instituto Terra. Explore how his commitment to environmental and humanitarian issues continues to shape his stunning work. Discover what’s next for this iconic photographer.
Sebastião Salgado on Photography, ”Exodus,” and the Healing Power of Reforestation
updated June 01, 2025
Sebastião Salgado, the renowned photographer, addressed criticisms of his work during an interview about the
reissue of his book ”Workers.” Speaking from his Paris studio, Salgado defended his approach, asserting that he
never photographs misery itself, but rather the lives of people with fewer material possessions. His work,
including the photography project “Exodus,” focuses on the importance of community among migrants and refugees.
Images / Contact Press Images / Yancey Richardson Gallery
Salgado recounted his experiences in Rwandan refugee camps, which deeply affected his mental and physical
health, leading him to temporarily abandon photography. A doctor warned him that continuing his work in that
state would be fatal. Overwhelmed by the violence he witnessed, Salgado and his wife Lélia moved back to his
family’s cattle ranch in Brazil.
The land,however,was nearly barren. Lélia suggested rewilding the area as a form of therapy and ecological
restoration. This initiative evolved into Instituto Terra, a thriving ecosystem with over two and a half
million trees, serving as inspiration for similar projects globally. the reforestation reignited Salgado’s
passion for photography, prompting him to document the pristine areas of the world.
“People criticize me that what I do is the beauty of the misery,” Salgado said. “But I never, I
never photograph the misery. Never. I photograph people that were less rich in material goods…They
have a family that they live inside. And they deserve to have a nice picture. Why not?”
What’s next
Salgado continues to work on photography projects that highlight both the beauty of the natural world and the
challenges faced by communities around the globe, often focusing on environmental and humanitarian issues.