Rio Helmi

Rio Helmi is an Indonesian documentary photographer and Buddhist teacher, born to an Indonesian diplomat father and a Turkish mother. Since 1978, he has captured images across Asia and written extensively, with work appearing in magazines, documentaries, and over 20 large-format photographic books. His solo exhibitions have been held in Bali, Jakarta, Madrid, Miyazaki, Palo Alto, San Francisco, and Sydney, with works in private collections worldwide, including London, Rome, Boston, Washington, and Tokyo. Rio has worked as a photographer, writer, and associate editor for Indonesian media and freelanced for international publications such as Asiaweek, Geo, Harper’s Bazaar, New York Times, Time, Vanity Fair, and Vogue. His notable photo books include River of Gems: A Borneo Journal and Bali Style. He also teaches creativity and visual storytelling, sharing his unique philosophical perspective.