Celebrated Brazilian photographer and environmentalist Sebastião Salgado has died at the age of 81. Instituto Terra, the environmental organisation founded by Salgado and his wife, confirmed the news on Friday, although it did not disclose further details about the circumstances or location of his death. The French Academy of Fine Arts, of which he was a member, also confirmed his passing.
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Salgado had faced a number of health issues over the years, many stemming from his battle with malaria contracted during the 1990s. “Sebastião was more than one of the greatest photographers of our time,” Instituto Terra said in a statement. “His lens revealed the world and its contradictions; his life showed the power of transformative action.” The statement added that his legacy would live on through continued work in reforestation and environmental justice.
Born in Aimorés, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, Salgado left for France in 1969 during Brazil’s military dictatorship. Although initially trained in economics, he began devoting himself fully to photography in 1973. His iconic black-and-white images became known for their deep emotional resonance and powerful tonal contrasts, often focusing on marginalised communities, migrant populations, and human labour. Among his most significant works are Amazonia, Workers, and Exodus, also known as Migrations or Sahel.
Alongside his wife, Lélia Wanick Salgado, he founded Amazonas Images, a photographic agency dedicated exclusively to his work. His life and artistic vision were depicted in the 2014 documentary The Salt of the Earth, co-directed by Wim Wenders and his son Juliano Ribeiro Salgado. Sebastião Salgado received numerous accolades during his career, including membership in the French Academy of Fine Arts and the US Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is survived by his wife and two sons, Juliano and Rodrigo.
