Jimmy Nelson

Jimmy Nelson is a Dutch–British photographer who began his photographic journey in 1987. He has spent more than 30 years travelling the world to visit and photograph some of the last remaining Indigenous communities. His work has since been used to raise support and help restore a sense of pride in Indigenous ways of life.

What started as a naive engagement with the people he met on work assignments has, over three decades, evolved into a deeply personal project. His book “Before They Pass Away” is an homage to cultures he may never fully understand, yet which continue to draw him back.

The book’s success — and the response to it — enabled and encouraged Nelson to continue this journey. In October 2018, he published his first interactive book, “Homage to Humanity”, for which he visited another 34 unique Indigenous cultures across the globe. The book is accompanied by the Webby Award-winning “Companion App”, which allows readers to scan each image and bring it to life with exclusive films, interviews and 360-degree footage.

Using proceeds from his art projects, the Jimmy Nelson Foundation was established to further support these communities on the ground.