Bruno Barbey.

Bruno Barbey (1941–2020), a French-Moroccan photographer born in Meknes, studied photography and graphic design at the École des Arts et Métiers in Vevey, Switzerland. From the 1960s onwards, he distinguished himself through his humanistic approach and exceptional mastery of color, which became his signature style. At just 25 years old, he joined Magnum Photos thanks to his striking work on Italy and Italians, and went on to hold key roles within the agency, eventually becoming president of Magnum International.

For more than fifty years, he traveled the world documenting societies in the midst of transformation: Morocco, to which he returned time and again, but also Poland, Italy, the United States, and China. He covered many major conflicts, including May 1968 in Paris, Vietnam, the Middle East, the Yom Kippur War, and Phnom Penh, always with the desire to bear witness without sensationalism, driven by a deeply sensitive gaze, “attracted by beauty, humanity, and positivity.”

The author of some twenty books, exhibited internationally and elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 2016, Bruno Barbey is now considered one of the great figures of 20th-century documentary photography.

He is the author of Au cœur de Mai 68 (In the Heart of May 68), published by Éditions du Pacifique, and contributed to Burma – 7 Days in Myanmar by 30 Photographers.