Renowned Italian photographer Toscani says has terminal disease
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Former Benetton photographer Oliviero Toscani revealed to Corriere della Sera on Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with amyloidosis, a terminal illness.
The 82-year-old said he is uncertain how much time he has left, adding, “I’ve lost 40kg in a year… I don’t know how long I have left, but I’m not interested in living like this anyway.”
Toscani mentioned that he is considering reaching out to his friend Marco Cappato, a right-to-die advocate who has helped many Italians travel to the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland, where assisted suicide is legal, though it remains prohibited in Italy.
Toscani, known for his provocative Benetton campaigns, which included images such as an AIDS patient depicted as a pietà and three identical hearts labeled black, white, and yellow, said he hopes to be remembered not for a single photograph, but for his entire body of work and his commitment to his craft.
His other controversial photos include a cheeky jean-clad backside with the caption “whoever loves me, follow me,” a kiss between a priest and a nun, the faces of men on death row, and a woman ravaged by anorexia.
Amyloidosis is a rare disease marked by the accumulation of abnormal protein deposits in the body.
