The current pace of development around the world has brought widespread concern about a loss of diversity in nature and the need to protect endangered species. But the changes brought by the forces of globalization, industrialization and urbanization affect not only animals and plants. People and cultures, ways of thinking and ways of living that have been in existence for thousands of years, are also at risk.
Vanishing Faces of Tibet takes a glimpse of the traditional Tibetan culture. Confronted with the assimilative policies of the Chinese government and the rapid modernization and urbanization of their traditional homeland, Tibetans are facing enormous social pressures. As new roads are built and new towns spring up in the mountains and grasslands, young Tibetans are either being forced out by rapid development or lured away by the promise of a better life in town. In the process, they are leaving behind local languages, customs and traditions, succumbing to the pressure to conform to a world that is becoming less varied and more homogenous.
A celebration of diversity, these photographs call out for balance in economic development and social transformation. They are a reminder that people everywhere must be able to enjoy and contribute to an advancing world, without sacrificing their identities. The world’s diverse faces and intriguing places enrich us all. Knowing those that vanish will never be restored, we must proceed with caution, before it is too late.
About Larry Louie
Dr. Larry Louie is an optometrist in Canada and also a travel and documentary photographer who has managed to combined his interests to promote the work of different charities around the world. In his optometry clinic, he works to enhance the vision of people from all walks of life in the urban core of a North American city. On his travels, he is a humanitarian documentary photographer, exploring the lives of remote indigenous people, and documenting social issues around the world. As an optometrist, Larry adjusts people’s visual perception. As a photographer, he seeks to adjust people’s view of the world. Either way, he is interested in things that exist outside the regular field of vision.
Over the last couple of years, Dr. Louie has used his photography as a platform to high light the work of different charities around the world, along with other social issues and challenges people are encountering in a world facing rapid urbanization and globalization. He wants to engage people in inspiring stories of perseverance and strength, not only of those who have found themselves caught in such a plight, but also amazing individuals and organizations that are lending a helping hand. He hopes his photographs will be able to tell the stories and make a difference, and to reveal light that is found in the darkest of places.
Larry’s award winning photographs have appeared in the Asian Photography Magazine, Digital Camera Magazine, British Journal of Photography, B&W Magazine, National Geographic and National Geographic Traveler Magazine. His work have also been exhibited around the world; from the Royal Geographical Society of London, UK to the Circle of Fine Art in Madrid, Spain, to the Center of Photography in Charleston, South Carolina to the Pendulum Gallery in Vancouver, Canada to the Royal Alberta Museum in Edmonton, Canada. [Official Website]
