James Nachtwey
James Nachtwey is an American photojournalist renowned for his uncompromising documentation of war and its human consequences. Inspired by the belief that photographs can inform public conscience, he has worked across continents for more than four decades.
His images from Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas have shaped global awareness and influenced debate. A central figure in contemporary photojournalism, he continues to advocate for compassion, accountability and peace.
He began covering Afghanistan in the nineteen-eighties, first the resistance to the Soviet occupation, then the civil war, and the offensive against the Taliban in two thousand one. In Asia, he documented guerrilla conflicts in Sri Lanka and the Philippines and the deadly crackdown on demonstrators in Bangkok in 2010. He photographed United States forces in Helmand Province in 2010, the refugee crisis in Europe, the Nepal earthquake, and the extrajudicial war on drugs in the Philippines.
In Europe, he covered the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, the war in Chechnya, and civil unrest in Northern Ireland. In Africa, he photographed the genocide in Rwanda, famine in Somalia and Sudan, and the liberation struggle in South Africa. Across the Americas he documented the civil wars of Central America and the United States invasion of Panama. In the Middle East, he covered the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the civil wars in Lebanon and Iraq, where he was wounded.
Beyond conflict, Nachtwey has examined homelessness, addiction, poverty, crime and industrial pollution, and since two, documented global health issues, especially tuberculosis and HIV AIDS. Awarded the TED Prize in two thousand seven, he launched a campaign to raise worldwide awareness of tuberculosis. His honours include the Robert Capa Gold Medal five times, two top awards from World Press Photo, multiple Infinity, Bayeux and Leica awards, the Princess of Asturias Award, and the Dresden Peace Prize in two thousand twelve https://www.friedenspreis-dresden.de/die-preistraeger/.
He is the subject of the Academy Award-nominated feature War Photographer. His books include Deeds of War and Inferno. His photographs are held by the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the Centre Pompidou and the Getty Museum, among others. He has had many solo exhibitions internationally. He holds honorary doctorates from several American universities, including Dartmouth College, which acquired his complete archive.
Nachtwey’s powerful work has garnered significant recognition, earning him numerous prestigious awards, including five Robert Capa Gold Medals, two World Press Awards, and the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Grant. His work has also been honoured with the Princess of Asturias Award and the Dresden Peace Prize, reflecting his impact on photography and social awareness.
Nachtwey’s photographs are featured in several prominent collections, such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Whitney Museum of American Art. His influence extends beyond galleries, as his images continue to educate and stir viewers about the human cost of war and injustice. Nachtwey’s enduring legacy is not only in his captured images but also in the conversations and changes that inspire those images worldwide.