The Exhibition

Steve McCurry has been one of the most iconic voices in contemporary photography for more than 30 years, with scores of magazine and book covers, over a dozen books, and countless exhibitions around the world to his name.

Born in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, McCurry studied film at Pennsylvania State University, before going on to work for a local newspaper.

After several years of freelance work, McCurry made his first of what would become many trips to India. Traveling with little more than a bag of clothes and another of film, he made his way across the subcontinent, exploring the country with his camera.

It was after several months of travel that he found himself crossing the border into Pakistan. There, he met a group of refugees from Afghanistan, who smuggled him across the border into their country, just as the Russian Invasion was closing the country to all western journalists. Emerging in traditional dress, with full beard and weather-worn features after weeks embedded with the Mujahideen, McCurry brought the world the first images of the conflict in Afghanistan, putting a human face to the issue on every masthead.

Since then, McCurry has gone on to create stunning images on all seven continents and countless countries. His work spans conflicts, vanishing cultures, ancient traditions and contemporary culture alike – yet always retains the human element that made his celebrated image of the Afghan Girl such a powerful image.

McCurry has been recognized with some of the most prestigious awards in the industry, including the Robert Capa Gold Medal, National Press Photographers Award, and an unprecedented four first prize awards from the World Press Photo contest. The Minister of French Culture has also appointed McCurry a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters and most recently, the Royal Photographic Society in London awarded McCurry the Centenary Medal for Lifetime Achievement.

About Human Nature

It fascinates me to discover and document the common components of human nature, components that can suddenly emerge demonstrating the universality of children at play.

Steve McCurry

McCurry has published books including The Imperial Way (1985), Monsoon (1988), Portraits (1999), South Southeast (2000), Sanctuary (2002), The Path to Buddha: A Tibetan Pilgrimage (2003), Steve McCurry (2005), Looking East (2006), In the Shadow of Mountains (2007), The Unguarded Moment, (2009), The Iconic Photographs (2011), Steve McCurry Icons – Conversations with Biba Giacchetti (2012), Untold: The Stories Behind the Photographs (2013), From These Hands: A Journey Along the Coffee Trail (2015), India (2015), and On Reading (2016), Afghanistan (2017), A Life in Pictures (2018), Animals (2019), In Search of Elsewhere (2020).

Awards

2020 Cherry Kearton Medal, Royal Geographical Society (con IBG), London, England 2019 International Photography Hall of Fame
2019 Premio Flaiano alla carriera, Pescara, Italy
2018 Colombe d’oro per la Pace Award, Istituto Di Ricerche Internazionali Archivio Disarmo, Bologna, Italy 

2018 Liberatum Cultural Honour award, Liberatum, New Delhi, India
2016 Epica Bronze Award for Valentino SS16 Campaign
2016 Lucie Award for Book Publisher of the Year, 21st Editions, Humanity, New York,
NY
2016 Clio Award for Valentino SS16 (4), Rome, Italy
2016 International Award of Photography, Centro Di Ricerca E Archiviazione Della Fotografia, Spilimbergo, Pordenone, Italy
2016 Honorary Doctorate and Honorary Professorship, Amity University, Uttar Pradesh, India
2014 Centenary Medal for Lifetime Achievement, Royal Photographic Society, London, England
2014 Hamdan International Photography Award, Dubai, UAE
2013 Appointed Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters, France
2012 Recipient of Humanity in the Arts Peace Award; International Committee of Artists for Peace
2012 Pictures of the Year International Book Award for The Iconic Photographs 2011 Leica Hall of Fame Award, St. Moritz, Switzerland
2011 Prix LiberPress, Girona, Spain
2009 Abrogino D’Oro, Milan, Italy
2006 Lowell Thomas GOLD
2006 National Press Photographers Association 1st Place, Buddha Rising, National Geographic, Dec. 

2006 Honorary Fellowship, New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography (NZIPP)- May 4th 

2005 Honorary Fellowship, The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, London 2005 Photographic Society of America Photojournalism Division-International Understanding through
2003 International Photography Awards, CA, the Lucie Award for Photojournalism 2003 Distinguished Alumni Award, Pennsylvania State University, PA 

2003 Co-recipient of the NY Film Festival Gold for documentary, “Afghan Girl: Found” 2002 Distinguished Visiting Fellow, College of Creative Studies, University of California 2002 Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, Fairleigh Dickinson University, NJ 2002 Photographer of the Year, PMDA Professional Photographer Award 

2002 Photographer of the Year, American Photo Magazine
2002 United Nations International Photographic Council: Special Recognition Award 2002 French Art Directors Association, Award of Excellence for “Women of Afghanistan”
2001 Photography Annual, Communication Arts Award of Excellence, Book Series, South SouthEast 

2000 Picture of the Year Competition 

Book of the Year, South SouthEast 

Magazine Feature Picture Award of Excellence: ‘Women in Field, Yemen’
1999 Pennsylvania State University, PA, Lifetime Fellow Award
1998 Life Magazine: ‘The Eisenstaedt Awards’ – Our World Photo Winner, ‘Red Boy’ 

Life Magazine: ‘The Eisenstaedt Awards’ – Our World Essay Finalist, ‘India’ 1998 Picture of the Year Competition, Award of Excellence, Portraits: ‘Red Boy’ 1998 SAJA, Southern Asian Journalistic Award, Outstanding Special Project 

National Geographic Story, India: 50 Years of Independence 

SAJA, Southern Asian Journalistic Award, Outstanding Photograph: ‘Red Boy’ 1997 Picture of the Year Competition 

Magazine Feature Picture Award of Excellence: ‘Fishermen’ 1996 Picture of the Year Competition 

Magazine Feature Picture Story Award: ‘Beggar’ 

Magazine Feature Picture Story Award: ‘Burma: The Richest of the Poor Countries’ 1994 Pennsylvania State University, Arts and Architecture Distinguished Alumni Award 

1993 National Press Photographers Association, Award of Excellence for ‘Rubble of War’ 1992 Oliver Rebbot Memorial Award, Overseas Press Club 

Best Photographic Reporting from Abroad on Gulf War Coverage 1992 Picture of the Year Competition 

Magazine Feature Picture Award of Excellence: ‘Fiery Aliens’
First Place, Magazine Science Award: ‘Camels under a Blackened Sky’ First Place, Gulf War News Story: ‘Kuwait: After the Storm’ 

1992 World Press Photo Competition
First Place, Nature and Environment: ‘Oil-Stricken Bird’, Kuwait First Place, General News Stories: ‘Kuwait after the Storm’ Children’s Award: ‘Camels under a Blackened Sky’ 

1990 Award of Excellence, White House News Photographers Association, ‘Spanish Gypsy’
1987 Medal of Honor, Philippines, for coverage of the 1986 Philippine Revolution 1986 Oliver Rebbot Memorial Award, Overseas Press Club 

Best Photographic Reporting from Abroad for work done in the Philippines 1985 Oliver Rebbot Award Citation: ‘Monsoons’ and ‘The New Faces of Baghdad’ 

1984 World Press Competition, Four First Prize First place, Nature and Nature First place, Daily Life and Daily Life Series 

1984 National Press Photographers Association: Magazine Photographer of the Year
1980 Robert Capa Gold Medal Award, for coverage of the war in Afghanistan for Time Magazine