This is a small collection of 1000 photographs I took in Lhasa, Tibet. It brings back so powerful memories. Not all of them wonderful.
Tibet was annexed by China May 1951. And so began a process of mass genocide. Over 3 million people were killed. And now, in Lhasa, the Tibetan language is forbidden. The colours of Buddhism remain, and silent prayers continue. I found the shadows of light to be the most stark reflection of the situation. We were warned about the “spies” and although we travelled around Lhasa without restriction, much of it was choreographed.
It is easy to take a side here, and think, Tibet did nothing wrong. But until the annexation, Tibet was mostly closed to the West. She remained a Serfdom, with monks having privilege and the poor not so lucky. For the Tibetan people that was the life and that was how they lived in devotion. But, like a person who doesn’t change, while the world evolves, there will always be a fight with nature. China, although brutal in its horrific assault on Tibet, was simply part of the inevitable.