Jimmy Nelson - Before They Pass Away

Jimmy Nelson and his arresting series Before They Pass Away is the current exhibition at WILLAS contemporary.

Jimmy Nelson was born in Sevenoaks, Kent in 1967. He is currently based in Amsterdam, while his work takes him all over the globe.

'In 2010, I planned to become a guest of 35 secluded and visually unique tribes. I wanted to witness their time-honoured traditions, join in their rituals and discover how the rest of the world is threa­tening to change their way of life forever. Most importantly, I wanted to create an ambitious aesthetic photographic document that would stand the test of time. A body of work that would be an irreplaceable ethnographic record of a fast disappearing world.'

Nelson spent five years traveling across Europe, Asia, Africa and the South Pacific visiting 35 indigenous tribes between 2010 and 2015. The resulting images beautifully capture the relationships between his subjects and their surroundings, rituals and traditions.

Nelson's work seeks to provoke a discussion and dialog around the longevity of these rural communities, with many facing the affects of climate change, global industrial expansion and conflicts.

Before They Pass Away is presented by museums and galleries worldwide, such as Fotografiska in Stockholm, Camerawork in Berlin, and Sotheby's in London. Works from the series are being collected by corporate and private collections. In Norway, leading collections such as The Statoil Art Collection and Nordic Choice Art and Design have acquired works from Before They Pass Away.

The Before They Pass Away prints are chromogenic prints, mounted on aluminium in nut wood frames behind museum glass. Each motif is available in 4 sizes within a limited edition of 19. The prices rise within the edition. All prints are delivered with a stamp of authentication and accompanying certificate.