Legendary photographer and environmentalist Sebastião Salgado dies at 81

Legendary photographer Sebastião Salgado, known for his iconic black-and-white images of global hardship and environmental destruction, has passed away at the age of 81.

The Brazil-born photographer’s work spanned over five decades, during which he captured the stark realities of human suffering and the natural world in 130 countries. His poignant photographs chronicled critical events such as the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the Gulf War’s oil fires in 1991, and the devastating famine in Africa’s Sahel region in 1984.

Salgado’s remarkable ability to capture both the beauty and destruction of the world was reflected in his later projects, including the "Amazonia" exhibition, which he co-created with indigenous communities in Brazil. This exhibit, displayed at London's Science Museum and Manchester's Science and Industry Museum in 2021 and 2022, showcased the sustainable practices of Amazonian indigenous groups.

A trained economist, Salgado’s career took a turn when he began documenting the environmental toll of heavy industry, with works focusing on gold mining in Brazil and oil fires in Kuwait. His commitment to environmental restoration was further demonstrated through his Instituto Terra, a non-profit organisation he founded with his wife, Lélia. The couple helped transform Salgado’s barren family farm into a flourishing rainforest, planting over 3 million trees in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest over the past two decades.

Salgado was widely recognised for his contributions to photography, receiving the Sony World Photography Award for Outstanding Contribution in 2024. His passing, announced by Instituto Terra, leaves behind a legacy of profound images that reveal the world's contradictions and the potential for environmental and human renewal.