Andy Craggs World Photography presents "Fragile Prayers" at the lightgallery in London (www.lightgallery.net) from 7-13 March 2004.

Featuring people, monasteries, and landscapes across remote parts of Tibet, this is a world where some of the most ancient Buddhist culture on earth confronts 21st Century commercial and industrial reality as neighbouring countries come into contact with a lifestyle essentially unchanged for centuries.

Tibet is fast becoming a network of concrete highways linking new industrial sites from mining to manufacturing to defense. But somewhere in between, and in the remote valleys beyond Lhasa, one can still find serenity and spirituality in the few remaining living monasteries, where ancient traditions and the quest for universal non-suffering are still at the core of people’s lives. The plight of all Tibetans is controversial yet real, as globalisation and politics continue to impact this part of the world and its people.

This collection tries to show the unique beauty that true Tibetan culture represents, in the hope that more will be done to respect and preserve it in the future.

Andy has been a photographer for over fifteen years. A London based internationalist, Andy has worked and lived in Europe, Africa, Asia, the US and Latin America. Inspired by Cartier-Bresson and the early twentieth century European photographers, but also adopting a fine art style and quality, Andy's pictures focus on people and their lives against the backdrop of landscapes, architecture, and traditions. Andy’s World Photography is cultural and essentially human, aiming to gain insight into people and their communities through exploring common themes across cultural and geographic boundaries.

Email & website: www.andycraggs.com