Homage to Humanity

When the photographer Jimmy Nelson (United Kingdom, 1967) took his first photograph in Tibet at the age of 19, he never imagined that one day he would be the author of two of the most impactful works on photography of recent times, brought together in two books: Before they pass away (TeNeues, 2013) and Homage to Humanity (Rizzoli, 2019).

To produce them, Nelson had to live for years amongst some of the most remote indigenous tribes on the planet, entirely unknown to the general public, demonstrating to them that he did not pose a threat, but rather was like them, and just as vulnerable as they were.

The result is a masterpiece and an ode to the beauty of human beings in their purest state. Photos taken with millimetric care, with absolutely perfect light and composition.

On several occasions the British photographer has stated that his work is a homage to all these tribes, showing the rest of the world that they exist, before they eventually disappear.