A TRILOGY ACROSS TIME
by
STEPHEN WILKES
Day to Night | Tapestries | Ellis Island
Stephen Wilkes is one of America’s most celebrated photographers and a National Geographic Explorer. For over four decades, he has masterfully blended fine art, documentary, and commercial photography. His work has been exhibited in major museums and galleries worldwide and is part of prestigious collections, including the George Eastman Museum and the Library of Congress. Known for his ability to tell powerful visual stories, Wilkes captures the passage of time, light, and human experience in a single frame.
A Trilogy of Time presents three of his most iconic series: Day to Night, Tapestries and Ellis Island: Ghosts of Freedom.
Throughout his career, Wilkes has collaborated with National Geographic, Apple, and Netflix, among others, and has inspired millions through his TED Talks. His many honors include the Lucie Award for Fine Art Photographer of the Year and TIME Magazine's Top 10 Photographs of the Year.
A Trilogy of Time invites you to experience Stephen Wilkes’ unique vision—where time, history, and storytelling converge in extraordinary, timeless imagery.
DAY TO NIGHT
Wilkes’ signature project captures the flow of time over 24 to 36 hours, seamlessly blending thousands of moments into a single panoramic image. From bustling cities to pristine wilderness, these photographs reveal the transitions of day into night and the subtle choreography of life unfolding over time.
TAPESTRIES
Inspired by the intricate woven works in the Vatican Museum, Tapestries explores time and movement on a more intimate scale. Each image is captured in-camera over 4 to 8 seconds, layering multiple exposures to create a textured, painterly effect. The series spans urban and natural landscapes, offering a fresh way of seeing the fleeting beauty of the world around us—moments woven into time.
ELLIS ISLAND: GHOSTS OF FREEDOM
In this hauntingly evocative series, Wilkes spent five years documenting the long-abandoned medical wards of Ellis Island, where immigrants were once detained before entering America. His photographs played a crucial role in raising $6 million to restore the site and preserve these powerful stories of hope, struggle, and resilience. The project became a TIME magazine Best Photography Book of the Year.