In a recent interview, Sebastião Salgado reflected on his career, his views on portraying human suffering, and his involvement in environmental restoration. The conversation took place in his Paris studio, against the backdrop of a large print of one of his photographs. Salgado, known for his striking appearance with a shaved head and prominent white eyebrows, discussed his approach to photography and his interactions with critics.

“People criticize me that what I do is the beauty of the misery,” Salgado said,addressing a common critique of his work.”But I never, I never photograph the misery. Never. I photograph people that were less rich in material goods. Misery, what is the misery?”

Salgado’s project “Exodus” focused on migrants, exiles, and refugees worldwide. He emphasized the importance of community,recalling his time photographing refugees from Malawi entering Mozambique: “when I photograph the refugees that come out of Malawi,going inside Mozambique-if one of them dies,the others will cry for him. You see they have not a bank account,they have no shoes. But they were proud. They were happy. They have a family that they live inside. And they deserve to have a nice picture.Why not?”

From Photography Hiatus to Environmentalism

Salgado’s experiences in Rwandan refugee camps deeply affected him, leading to physical and mental health issues. A doctor in Paris warned him that continuing his work in that vein would be detrimental to his health. “I was so upset to be a human being,” he recounted, “because I saw the amount of violence that we are capable of. We are a terrible species. I gave up photography. I said, ‘Never more in my life I do pictures.’ “

“I was so upset to be a human being, because I saw the amount of violence that we are capable of. We are a terrible species.”

Following this decision, salgado and his wife, Lélia, moved back to his family’s cattle ranch in Brazil. They found the land considerably degraded. Lélia suggested rewilding the area as a form of therapy and to address ecological concerns. This initiative led to the creation of the Instituto Terra, a thriving ecosystem with abundant wildlife and over two and a half million trees. The institute serves as a model for similar projects globally.

“This forest coming back gave me a huge wish to photograph again,” Salgado explained. “And in this moment I said, ‘I go to see my planet.’ I wanted to see what is pristine in this world.”