ALBERTINA D'URSO 

For more than 10 years Albertina D’Urso followed in the footsteps of Tibetans forced to escape from their homeland, many of whom crossed the Himalayan range by foot, to defend their cultural and religious identity, their traditions and their language from Chinese repression. In ‘Out Of Tibet’ she has documented their new lives throughout the world – including several areas of India (Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Sikkim, Darjeeling, Ladakh, Bodhgaya), as well as in Nepal, Taiwan, New York, London, Paris, Zurich, Rome, Brussels, Amsterdam and Toronto. It is a moving exploration of their culture and traditions in the country where they now live. Portrayed in their homes, during their private moments or at celebrations of Tibetan culture, D’Urso focuses on their emotions and their continued attachment to their homeland. It is as if she is bringing together, visually, the many Tibetans in exile who are displaced all around the world – a unique de facto state with no land. His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lobsang Sangay (Prime Minister of the Central Tibetan Administration) have contributed forewords to the book and many of the Tibetan exiles contribute their own thoughts and experiences.

Italian born, Albertina d’Urso has worked on many social and humanitarian reportages. She has received several awards including ‘Canon Young Photographer’, ‘Lens Culture International Exposure Award’, ‘Julia Margaret Cameron Award’ and a ‘Lucie Award’. She has exhibited internationally including shows in Cambodia, Korea, the United States, France and Italy and her book ‘Ti Moun Yo, Children of Haiti’, was voted ‘Documentary Book of the Year’ at the International Photography Awards. Her work also features regularly in magazines such as Vanity Fair, Marie Claire, Panorama, L’Espresso, Photo, and Vision.