“Salgado in Antarctica” editorial illustration

Editorial illustration inspired by an old New Yorker article called “Cold Light” by Ian Parker. It followed legendary photojournalist Sebastião Salgado as he travelled to Antarctica for his “Genesis” project, a long-term photo essay exploring the world that was still untouched by humanity.

Partly a retrospective on his career and partly a ringside seat of a photojournalist at work, the article featured gorgeous descriptions of Salgado in the wilderness of Antarctica as he photographed albatrosses, penguins and walruses.

Initially, I racked my brain trying to come up with some clever conceptual take but ultimately I decided to lean into my preference for narrative scenes. I combined details from the article’s evocative descriptions, including a ridge that was described as an upside-down Nike swoosh.