If you change the way you look at people, the people you look at change. And if that change is powerful enough, it will gather momentum to affect the whole of humanity.

THE STORY

MY MOTIVATION

I take pictures. I make images. Unlike film, which overwhelms you with movement and sound, defining the ongoing moment, a photograph just sits there quietly while you decide what it is saying.

I strongly believe that artists must always be part of a conversation, and share provocative ideas. My idea is that of aesthetic and empowerment for a better world. I hope that with my work, remote, indigenous people get a better sense of their uniqueness and importance in the world we all live in, which will support them to be more resilient to the pressures around them.

This personal artistic documentation is a way of re-igniting the fire and pride within and for indigenous people, of creating mutual respect for all people, and of empowering future generations all over the world to illuminate their cultural heritage.

So all of us will see the bigger picture and stand united in our diversity, to meet the enormous challenges we face as humankind in the decade to come.

• Jimmy Nelson

Bhutan – the land of the Thunder Dragon

Bhutan is known in Bhutanese as Druk Yul, or Thunder Dragon.

The population of around 800,000 is made up of several ethnic groups, including the Ngalop and the Sharchop. Ngalop means ‘the first risen’ and this group is the largest in the country.

Bhutan’s government is known for measuring prosperity in terms of Gross National Happiness instead of Gross National Product, to focus on the overall happiness and well-being of the Bhutanese population, rather than only their material wealth.

Source: JIMMY NELSON

Header: Tiger’s Nest, Upper Paro Valley, Bhutan, 2016. Jimmy Nelson

Note:

THE APP – GO ON A JOURNEY

’I want to show you who I see, I want to show you where I go. You will be able to scan the pictures and each picture will come alive. You will go on a journey, you will go to places, you will meet people and you will feel things, and I really believe you begin to understand what I am trying to say and do. I want to show you, and I want you to understand these people, and how important they are for you and me.’ – Jimmy Nelson

ABOUT THE APP

Jimmy and his team created a 2019 Webby Award-winning mobile application; the Jimmy Nelson App. It is a remarkable record of their journeys with immersive 360º films, behind-the-scenes footage, storytelling and more. With this app, developed by Fonk, you will be able to scan every image of Jimmy Nelson in the books, at exhibitions or online.

Scanning the image will enable you to step into the world behind the image, through your smartphone. Jimmy himself combined with beautiful video material will guide you through breathtaking footage, but above all uncovers the beauty of day-to-day life from all over the world.