Pirelli announced Monday that the 2027 edition of its iconic Calendar will focus on India.
For the first time in the Cal™'s history, it will also feature the work of two distinct photographers: the renowned Norwegian photographer S›lve Sundsb› and the Indian master Raghu Rai.
The tyre maker said the recent passing of Mr.
Rai has caused deep sorrow among those who had the pleasure of knowing and working with him and his family.
Over the last three months, Mr.Rai dedicated himself to developing the project through an original series of photographs that reflect his heritage and his vision of India for the Calendar.
Pirelli and the Rai family are committed to bringing Mr. Rai's part of the Calendar to completion.
Mr. Rai's daughter Avani Rai, herself an internationally acclaimed photographer, is honored to step in and realize her father's intentions for the series. "The work my father created for Pirelli was a tribute to India—bringing together his lifelong vision with a more contemporary expression of its people and diversity, something he was always deeply drawn to. I cannot bear the thought of it remaining unrealised. Bringing it to life feels deeply personal, as if I am stepping into his gaze and the way he saw India through his camera. Photography was his gift to me—not just as a craft, but as a way of seeing—and in that we found a quiet, profound connection. Carrying this forward feels like a way of staying close to him, of keeping a part of him alive within me." said Avani Rai. In tandem, Pirelli said it was delighted to once again invite S›lve Sundsb›, who photographed the 2026 Cal™, to offer a second perspective in the 2027 Calendar. The sensitivity and innovative aesthetic of Sundsb›'s work, together with Ms. Rai's own experience at home and intimate knowledge of her father's work, will offer dual points of view on this extraordinary country. "It's a great honor to be invited again to contribute to the Pirelli Calendar. I am very pleased to do so alongside Avani Rai and pay tribute to her father's legacy. It's a momentous opportunity to explore India. We will both do our utmost to celebrate the country and Mr. Rai's memory with this collaboration," he said.
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