New Delhi – The 2027 Pirelli Calendar is dedicated entirely to India for the first time. The 53rd edition, unveiled on Friday, October 23, in New Delhi, brings together works by Sølve Sundsbø, Raghu Rai, and Avani Rai. In it, the Milan-based tire manufacturer combines portrait photography with street scenes and an exploration of the photographic legacy of Raghu Rai, who passed away in April.
The issue is titled „India“ and features 36 photographs: 18 by Sundsbø and 18 from the collaborative project by Raghu and Avani Rai. The Norwegian fashion photographer turns his lens on nine women of Indian descent. Among those portrayed are actress Freida Pinto, musician Anoushka Shankar, poet Rupi Kaur, and author and TV host Padma Lakshmi.
Sundsbø took photographs at Jaigarh Fort in Jaipur and in Ajabgarh in the state of Rajasthan. Light, fabrics, and colors define the images. The women are neither meant to embody an entire country nor to be reduced to familiar stereotypes of India. Avani Rai also appears in front of the camera for this series, thereby taking on a dual role as both photographer and subject.
The 2027 Pirelli Calendar Brings Together the Past and the Present
Raghu Rai had begun a project to combine historical images from his archive with new photographs. After his death, his daughter Avani took over the work. She shifted the approach—originally planned for a studio setting—to the streets of Delhi and Mumbai. Large black-and-white prints by her father become part of new scenes featuring today’s residents, artisans, artists, and young people.
The earlier photographs remain recognizable as distinct images. Around them, Avani Rai shows how the places and their inhabitants have changed. Thus, Sundsbø’s focused individual portraits are juxtaposed with a view of public life. For the photographer, the project is also a personal exploration of the loss of her father. The calendar is presented as an elaborately designed art object, which Pirelli traditionally gives away as a gift. It is not a standard annual calendar available in stores.
