Philip Hepp

​​I am Philip Hepp, a Swiss documentary photographer and cultural anthropologist based in Switzerland. My work focuses on Tibet and other Asian societies, with a particular emphasis on the study of ways of life, traditions, and long-term photographic documentation. From 2005 to 2023, I served as Managing Director of the Tibet Institute Rikon in Switzerland. I am married to a Tibetan.

In 1987, as a 26-year-old backpacker, I traveled extensively in Tibet for the first time. Since then, I have been able to visit Tibet, India, and Nepal frequently and for longer periods of time. For shorter stays I have also traveled to other countries in Asia and elsewhere.

My photography offers a variety of insights into the countries I have stayed in and the lives and cultures of their people, but never claims to be complete. My older photographs in particular can make a modest contribution to documenting the immense cultural and natural heritage of these peoples. Many of them, especially the Tibetans and Uyghurs, have been exposed to major political and social changes in recent decades.

I am happy to share my photographic work with anyone interested.