Ashley Gilbertson is an Australian photographer and writer living in New York City widely recognized for his critical eye and unique approaches to social issues. Gilbertson is a member of the VII Agency, a frequent contributor to The New York Times, and a collaborator with the United Nations.
Early on, Gilbertson’s work focused on refugees, an interest that in 2002, led him to Iraq. His work from that country earned critical acclaim from the Overseas Press Club which awarded Gilbertson the Robert Capa Gold Medal for his 2004 work in Falluja. Gilbertson’s first book, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, released in 2007 to critical acclaim, went on to become a best seller.
After Iraq, Gilbertson shifted his focus to veterans issues, drawing attention to post traumatic stress disorder, suicide, and traumatic brain injuries. Gilbertson’s second book, Bedrooms Of The Fallen, a collection of photographs depicting the intact bedrooms of service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, was released in 2014. That work was published in The New York Times Magazine, and received a prestigious Ellie award, regarded then as the Pulitzer Prize of the magazine world.
Since 2014, Gilbertson has been examining global migration, with an emphasis on the arrival and integration of refugees in Europe and the root causes for migration from Africa.
In addition to photographing, Gilbertson regularly writes opinion and news for outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, ProPublica, and UNICEF. Gilbertson also works on multimedia stories and his story on The South China Sea earned him an Emmy nomination in 2014.
Gilbertson has shot commercial assignments for Apple Computer, Axa Insurance, and the Ad Council.
Gilbertson’s prints and books are included in the permanent collections of numerous museums and art galleries around the world, and has been exhibited widely at institutions including The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery (Washington), Centre Georges Pompidou (Paris), National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne), Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Kansas), and The National September 11 Memorial Museum (New York).
Gilbertson lectures regularly at universities and museums globally.
