Of Humankind

Over the last twelve years Peter Lavery's photographic work for magazines and advertising firms has taken him and his camera to virtually every corner of the globe. During those travels he has set aside time to document his experiences by taking portraits of some of the people he has encountered-French waiters as well as Maisi herdsmen, Italian farmers as well as Australian ringers, Inuit fishermen as well as Chinese peasants, New Guinea tribesmen as well as Irish ghillies , all the way to Xingu Indians from the remote rainforests of Brazil. Lavery's approach to this ongoing project has been simple-he sets the images of all his subjects against a black background, enabling him to focus on the faces and character of his sitters. From the familiar to the unknown, Lavery's portraits help us to make sense of, and also to wonder at, the overwhelming human diversity on our planet and the common links between individuals around the globe.