Matthieu Ricard’s Photographs at Auction in Support of Karuna-Shechen

The sale will feature a selection of photographs from his personal archives, with online bidding also available. All net proceeds will go to Karuna-Shechen to support its relief efforts in Nepal following the floods that struck several parts of the Himalayan region on 26 August 2026.

For more than 60 years, Matthieu Ricard has documented the world through his photography, capturing the people, places and encounters that have shaped his journeys. He first took up photography at around the age of fifteen, under the guidance of André Fatras, one of France’s pioneers of wildlife photography. His work explores landscapes, human faces, spiritual life and the natural world. The Himalayas hold a central place in his photography, although his travels have also taken his lens to other parts of the world, including Iceland, Chile and Argentina.

“Matthieu’s spiritual life and his camera are one and the same; from this union emerge these fleeting and eternal images” wrote Henri Cartier-Bresson, whom Ricard met at the age of eighteen.
 
Matthieu Ricard has published fifteen photography books, most of them with Éditions de La Martinière. His latest book, Lumière, was published by Allary Éditions in 2025. His photographs have been exhibited in New York, Hong Kong, Rangoon, Geneva and Monaco, as well as at Visa pour l’Image, the La Gacilly Photo Festival and the International Wildlife Photography Festival in Montier-en-Der, where his work has been regularly shown. His images have also appeared in numerous publications, including National Geographic. Having worked with the VU, Rapho and Getty Images agencies, he is now an independent photographer.

Photographs from Matthieu Ricard’s Archives

The selection offers a glimpse into the breadth of Matthieu Ricard’s photographic practice, bringing together images captured throughout his travels. Among them are sacred dances performed by monks in Trongsa, Bhutan; a portrait of the young “Karuna Girl”, now an emblematic image of Karuna-Shechen; and a photograph of Ricard meditating inside a Hindu temple in Karnataka. Other works capture the grandeur of the natural world, from aerial views of the Andes to the Himalayan peaks at first light. Together, these photographs bear witness to encounters, places and moments observed with a singular sensitivity.
 
The sale will comprise 130 photographs, offered as fine art prints in a variety of formats, ranging from 45 × 45 cm to 100 × 150 cm. Printed by PhotoBy using UltraChrome HDX pigment inks on Epson Premium Luster paper and mounted on Dibond, the works carry estimates from €100 for the smaller formats to around €300 for the largest. A second, entirely online sale will follow, featuring nearly 100 additional works.

In support of Karuna-Schechen

All net proceeds from the auction will be donated to Karuna-Shechen to support its response to the floods that struck Nepal on 26 August 2026. Since the disaster, the organisation’s teams have been working in the districts of Rasuwa and Nuwakot, responding to needs identified on the ground. Their efforts include distributing essential supplies, providing access to clean water and assisting displaced people, as they continue to support communities affected by the floods.
 
Founded by Matthieu Ricard in 2000, Karuna-Shechen works alongside marginalised communities across the Himalayan region, helping them shape their own futures. Each year, the organisation reaches nearly 500,000 people through initiatives in healthcare, hygiene, food security, education and economic development.

Since its founding, Matthieu Ricard has donated all proceeds from his book royalties and photographic work to Karuna-Shechen.