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Pirelli Calendar 2027 Centers India in Two‑Voice Photographic Project

The edition pairs Sølve Sundsbø’s stylized Rajasthan portraits with Avani Rai’s street‑based completion of her late father Raghu Rai’s vision to foreground Indian people and makers.

Overview

  • Pirelli assigned the 2027 calendar to two photographers to create a dialogue between an outsider and an insider perspective, commissioning Norwegian Sølve Sundsbø and Indian master Raghu Rai before his passing.
  • Following Raghu Rai’s death earlier in 2026, his daughter Avani Rai stepped in to finish his portion and shifted his originally studio concept onto the streets of Old Delhi to connect his archive with present‑day life.
  • Sundsbø shot highly stylized portraits across Rajasthan at locations such as Jaigarh Fort and Ajabgarh, focusing on composed, colorful portraiture of named figures and artists.
  • Avani Rai photographed more than 200 everyday participants, including artisans, musicians and street performers, placing her father’s archival images alongside the people and places he had photographed decades earlier.
  • Pirelli will produce its customary limited run of the calendar as a gift edition, and the India‑dedicated project is presented as a deliberate reorientation of the brand toward broader representation and recognition of Indian craft and subjects.