Steve McCurry has been one of the most iconic voices in contemporary photography for more than 30 years, with scores of magazine and book covers, over a dozen books, and countless exhibitions around the world to his name.

Born in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; McCurry studied film at Pennsylvania State University, before going on to work for a local newspaper. After several years of freelance work, McCurry made his first of what would become many trips to India. Traveling with little more than a bag of clothes and another of film, he made his way across the subcontinent, exploring the country with his camera.

It was after several months of travel that he found himself crossing the border into Pakistan. There, he met a group of refugees from Afghanistan, who smuggled him across the border into their country, just as the Russian Invasion was closing the country to all western journalists. Emerging in traditional dress, with full beard and weather-worn features after weeks embedded with the Mujahedeen, McCurry brought the world the first images of the conflict in Afghanistan, putting a human face to the issue on every masthead.

Since then, McCurry has gone on to create stunning images over six continents and countless countries. His work spans conflicts, vanishing cultures, ancient traditions and contemporary culture alike - yet always retains the human element that made his celebrated image of the Afghan Girl such a powerful image.

McCurry has been recognized with some of the most prestigious awards in the industry, including the Robert Capa Gold Medal, National Press Photographers Award, and an unprecedented four first prize awards from the World Press Photo contest. The Minister of French Culture has also appointed McCurry a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters and most recently, the Royal Photographic Society in London awarded McCurry the Centenary Medal for Lifetime Achievement.

McCurry has published books including The Imperial Way (1985), Monsoon (1988), Portraits (1999), South Southeast (2000), Sanctuary (2002), The Path to Buddha: A Tibetan Pilgrimage (2003), Steve McCurry (2005), Looking East (2006), In the Shadow of Mountains (2007), The Unguarded Moment. (2009), The Iconic Photographs (2011), Untold: The Stories Behind the Photographs (2013), From These Hands: A Journey Along the Coffee Trail (2015), India (2015), and On Reading (2016).

Selected Awards

2014 Centenary Medal for Lifetime Achievement, Royal Photographic Society, London, England

2014 Hamdan International Photography Award, Dubai, UAE

2013 Appointed Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters, France

2012 Recipient of Humanity in the Arts Peace Award; International Committee of Artists for Peace

2012 Pictures of the Year International Book Award for The Iconic Photographs

2011 Leica Hall of Fame Award, St. Moritz, Switzerland

2011 Prix LiberPress, Girona, Spain

2009 Abrogino D’Oro, Milan, Italy

2006 Lowell Thomas GOLD

2006 National Press Photographers Association 1st Place, Buddha Rising, National Geographic, Dec.

2006 Honorary Fellowship, New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography (NZIPP)-May 4th

2005 Honorary Fellowship, The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, London

2005 Photographic Society of America Photojournalism Division-International Understanding through

Photography Award

2003 International Photography Awards, CA, the Lucie Award for Photojournalism

2003 Distinguished Alumni Award, Pennsylvania State University, PA

2003 Co-recipient of the NY Film Festival Gold for documentary, “Afghan Girl: Found”

2002 Distinguished Visiting Fellow, College of Creative Studies, University of California

2002 Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, Fairleigh Dickinson University, NJ

2002 Photographer of the Year, PMDA Professional Photographer Award

2002 Photographer of the Year, American Photo Magazine

2002 United Nations International Photographic Council: Special Recognition Award

In recognition of his ceaseless devotion and outstanding achievement in photography.

2002 French Art Directors Association, Award of Excellence for “Women of Afghanistan”

2001 Photography Annual, Communication Arts

Award of Excellence, Book Series, South SouthEast

2000 Picture of the Year Competition

Book of the Year, South SouthEast

Magazine Feature Picture Award of Excellence: ‘Women in Field, Yemen’

1999 Pennsylvania State University, PA, Lifetime Fellow Award

1998 Life Magazine: ‘The Eisenstaedt Awards’ - Our World Photo Winner, ‘Red Boy’

Life Magazine: ‘The Eisenstaedt Awards’ - Our World Essay Finalist, ‘India’

1998 Picture of the Year Competition, Award of Excellence, Portraits: ‘Red Boy’

1998 SAJA, Southern Asian Journalistic Award, Outstanding Special Project

National Geographic Story, India: 50 Years of Independence

SAJA, Southern Asian Journalistic Award, Outstanding Photograph: ‘Red Boy’

1997 Picture of the Year Competition

Magazine Feature Picture Award of Excellence: ‘Fishermen’

1996 Picture of the Year Competition

Magazine Feature Picture Story Award: ‘Beggar’

Magazine Feature Picture Story Award: ‘Burma: The Richest of the Poor Countries’

1994 Pennsylvania State University, Arts and Architecture Distinguished Alumni Award

1993 National Press Photographers Association, Award of Excellence for ‘Rubble of War’

1992 Oliver Rebbot Memorial Award, Overseas Press Club

Best Photographic Reporting from Abroad on Gulf War Coverage

1992 Picture of the Year Competition

Magazine Feature Picture Award of Excellence: ‘Fiery Aliens’

First Place, Magazine Science Award: ‘Camels under a Blackened Sky’

First Place, Gulf War News Story: ‘Kuwait: After the Storm’

1992 World Press Photo Competition

First Place, Nature and Environment: ‘Oil-Stricken Bird’, Kuwait

First Place, General News Stories: ‘Kuwait after the Storm’

Children’s Award: ‘Camels under a Blackened Sky’

1990 Award of Excellence, White House News Photographers Association, ‘Spanish Gypsy’

1987 Medal of Honor, Philippines, for coverage of the 1986 Philippine Revolution

1986 Oliver Rebbot Memorial Award, Overseas Press Club

Best Photographic Reporting from Abroad for work done in the Philippines

1985 Oliver Rebbot Award Citation: ‘Monsoons’ and ‘The New Faces of Baghdad’

1984 World Press Competition, Four First Prize First place, Nature and Nature Series; First place, Daily Life and Daily Life Series

1984 National Press Photographers Association: Magazine Photographer of the Year

1980 Robert Capa Gold Medal Award, for coverage of the war in Afghanistan for Time Magazine

Selected Individual Exhibitions

2015 Museo Nazionale Scienza E Tecnologia Leonardo Da Vinci, Milan, Italy

2015 220 Cultura Contemporánea, Córdoba, Argentina

2015 Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory, Houghton, South Africa

2015 Old Town Hall, Prague, Czech Republic

2015 CerModern, Ankara, Turkey

2015 Hickory Museum of Art, Hickory, North Carolina

2015 Patricia Conde Galeria, Mexico City, Mexico

2015 Museum für Gestaltung, Zurich, Switzerland

2015 Leica Gallery, Warsaw, Poland

2015 Cinecittà Studios, Rome, Italy

2014 Bait Al Zubair, Muscat, Oman

2014 CT Gallery, Megeve, France

2014 Loukia & Michael Zampelas Art Museum, Nicosia, Cyprus

2014 Central European House of Photography, Bratislava, Slovakia

2014 Villa d’Reale di Monza, Monza, Italy

2014 Leica Gallery, Salzburg, Austria

2014 Anna Lamar Switzer Center at Pensacola State College, Pensacola, Florida

2014 Brucie Collections, Kiev, Ukraine

2014 Theatre de la Photography et de l’Image, Nice, France

2014 Alessandro Del Piero Gallery, Torino, Italy

2014 Festival La Gacilly, France

2014 Beetles and Huxley, London, UK

2014 Kunsthalle Erfurt, Germany

2014 Regione Umbria, Perugia, Italy

2014 Juminkeko Foundation, Kuhmo, Finland

2013 Santa Maria della Scala, Siena

2013 Hamburg Museum of Art, Germany

2013 Itau Foundation, Santiago, Chile

2013 Taidehalli Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

2013 Fifty One Fine Art, Antwerp, Belgium

2013 Chris Beetles Gallery, London, UK

2013 National Museum Kragujevac, Serbia

2013 Luova Gallery, Helsinki, Finland

2013 David Bloch Gallery, Marrakech, Morocco

2013 Galerie Clairefontaine, Luxembourg

2012 Empty Quarter Gallery, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

2012 Kunstmuseum, Wolfsburg, Germany

2012 Annenberg Space for Photography, Los Angeles, United States

2012 Oeksnehallen, Copenhagen, Denmark

2012 Ron Cavalier Galleries, Greenwich, United States

2012 Frederic Got Gallery, Paris, France

2012 Seoul Art Center, Seoul, South Korea

2012 Photokina, Cologne, Germany

2012 Centro Municipal de Arte Helio Oiticica, Rio de Janerio, Brazil

2012 Palazzo Ducale, Genova, Italy

2012 Zagreb Art Pavilion, Zagreb, Croatia

2011 Museum of Contemporary Art, Rome, Italy

2011 Instituto Tomie Ohtake, Sao Paulo, Brazil

2011 Casal de Solleric, Majorca, Spain

2011 Istanbul Modern, Istanbul, Turkey

2011 Amerikahaus, Munich, Germany

2011 Centro del Conocimiento, Misiones, Argentina

2011 Gallery of Photography, Dublin, Ireland

2010 Museo Rafaela, Rajaela, Santa Fe, Argentina

2010 Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria, Perugia, Italy

2010 Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Seoul, Korea

2010 Centro Cultural Borges, Buenos Aires, Argentina

2010 Salo Art Museum, Finland

2010 Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham UK

2010 Roosevelt House, New Delhi, India

2010 Masan Art Center, Seoul, Korea

2010 Joseph Saxton Gallery, Canton, OH

2010 Islamic Arts Museum, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2009 Villanova University, Villanova, PA

2009 Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore

2009 Polka Magazine Exhibition, Paris, France

2009 Chahar Suq Cistern, Herat, Afghanistan

2009 Palazzo della Ragione, Milan, Italy

2009 History Center, Orlando, FL,

2009 Open Shutter Gallery, Durango, CO

2009 International Festival of Photojournalism, Perpignan, France

2009 Palmer Museum of Art, University Park, PA

2009 Cavalier Galleries, Greenwich, CT and Nantucket, MA,

2009 Bagh-e-Babur, Queen’s Palace, Kabul, Afghanistan,

2009 Retrospective, Stadtische Gallerie, Iserlohn, Germany

2008 Friends Center Gallery, Siem Reap, Cambodia,

2008 Retrospective, Stadtmuseum, Schleswig, Germany

2008 Magnum Print Room, London, United Kingdom

2008 Photo Festival, Amman, Jordan

2008 Palmer Museum of Art, State College, PA,

2008 Face of Asia, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

2008 Magnum Photos 60 Years, Galerie Esther Woerdehoff, Paris, France

2008 Magnum Photos 60 Years, Stedelijk Museum Post CS, Amsterdam, Netherlands

2007 Camera Obscura, Denver, CO

2007 Path to Buddha, Southeast Museum, FL

2007 India at 60, New York NY

2007 Pilgrimage, Morris Museum, NJ

2007 South Southeast, Rennes, France

2007 South Southeast, Art Center Waco, TX

2007 Fahey Klein Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2007 Tibet, International Center of Tibet, Washington DC

2007 Face of Asia, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

2006 Sojourn: Narratives of Asia, Galleria MOdena Arte, Modena Italy

2006 Lucca Photofest, Lucca, Italy

2006 Afghanistan’s Children: The Next Generation, The United Nations Lobby, New York, New York

2006 First Photography Biennial, Alejandro Otero Museum, Caracas, Venezuela

2006 Hartlepool Art Gallery, Hartlepool, UK

2006 Face of Asia, Sir William Gray House, Hartlepool, United Kingdom

2006 Face of Asia, George Eastman House, Rochester, New York

2006 Photo Biennial, Daegu, Korea

2006 South SouthEast, Valencia, Spain

2006 Pilgrimage, Madrid, Spain

2006 Cavalier Galleries, Nantucket, MA

2006 Soho Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2006 Gallery Old Town San Diego, CA

2005 City Arts Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland

2005 Face of Asia, Asia House, London.

2005 Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego, CA

2004 Written with Light” Artopia Gallery, Miami Florida

2004 “Pilgrimage” Fundación Sophia, Palma de Mallorca,Spain

2004 Boca Museum of Art, Boca Raton, Florida

2004 Phil Woods Gallery, Ottawa, Canada

2003 “Buddhism”, New Delhi, India

2004 Forbidden City International Photography Exhibition, Beijing, China

2003 “Pilgrimage”, National Geographic Society, Washington D.C.

2003 The Augen Gallery, University of Pennsylvania, PA

2003 Tibet House, New York, NY

2003 “Face of Asia”, George Eastman House, Rochester, NY

2003 Arthur Ross Gallery, University of Pennsylvania, PA

2003 Levering Hall, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

2002 Exhibition Leeuwarden, Amsterdam, Holland

2002 The Augen Gallery, Portland, OR

2002 The School of Photography (EFTI), Madrid, Spain

2002 The Victor Barsokevitsch Photographic Centre, Finland

2002 Palacio dos Aciprestes, Pro Historica Associacao, Lisbon, Portugal

2002 Stenerson Museum, Oslo, Norway

2002 Southeast Museum of Photography, Daytona Beach, FL

2001 Vision Workshops, Annapolis, MD

2001 Palacio dos Aciprestes, Pro Historica Associacao, Lisbon, Portugal

2001 Radiant Light Gallery, Portland, ME

Individual Publications

India, Phaidon Press, 2015

From These Hands: A Journey Along the Coffee Trail, Phaidon Press, 2015

Untold: The Stories Behind the Photographs, Phaidon Press, 2013

The Iconic Photographs, Phaidon Press, 2012

100 Photos of Steve McCurry for Press Freedom, RSF, 2012

Steve McCurry: Stern Portfolio, Stern Gruner, Jahr AG & Co., 2012

The Iconic Photographs, Phaidon Press, Limited/Signed, 2011

The Unguarded Moment, Phaidon Press, Limited, 2009

In the Shadow of Mountains, Phaidon Press Limited, 2007

Looking East, Phaidon Press Limited, 2006

Steve McCurry, Phaidon Press Limited, 2005

The Path to Buddha: A Tibetan Pilgrimage, Phaidon Press Limited, 2003

Sanctuary: The Temples of Angkor, Phaidon Press Limited, 2002

South Southeast, Phaidon Press Limited, 2000

Portraits, Phaidon Press Limited, 1999

Monsoon, Thames and Hudson, 1988

The Imperial Way, Houghton-Mifflin Company, 1985 Photographs by Steve McCurry and Text by Paul Theroux

Permanent Collections

The Elton John Collection, GA

George Eastman House, NY

Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA

Fondazione Palazzo Bricherasio, Torino, Italy

Ackland Museum, University of North Carolina

Houston Museum of Modern Art, TX

Tokyo Museum of Modern Art

Palmer Museum of Art, State College, PA

International Center of Photography, NY

Musee National d’art Moderne, Paris, France

Numerous private collections