A Dangerous Smile: Portraits from Tibet 1998

In 1998, an air of trepidation hung over The Jokhang in Lhasa. Years of unrest were still reverberating across every corner of Tibet, yet the minutiae of daily life continued unabated. Since 647AD, this holiest of temples has been at the religious, social and political epicentre of Tibetan life. Devotion, meditation and prayer have always constituted the very core of every single monk, pilgrim and worshiper. These images not only document a life that has been lived for centuries, but also reflect upon the very modern point at which the pursuit of inner peace intersects with the pursuit of politics. Tibetans have always managed to combine a healthy mix of genuine happiness and resolute pragmatism in the face of adversity. One can only guess at the plots, schemes, hopes and dreams carefully and deliberately hidden within.