Lovely start to the summer visiting my solo show in The Hague at the Museon Museum. Those costume light boxes are everything💡 #solarportraits @museondenhaag @natgeomuseum @insidenatgeo
''For the first time we are able to look at each in the eyes in our moments of intimacy.'' Juan told me as he and his wife Faustina Flores sat in their solar-lit home in San Luis Acatlan. Faustina and Juan have seven children and are together since 48 years. I’m currently in Mexico working on various projects including the continuation of my personal project- 'Solar Portraits’ which addresses the important issue of lack of access of electricity around the world. It is a series of portraits depicting the lives of inhabitants of remote areas worldwide who, for the first time have access to electricity through the power of solar energy. #solar #light #luz #pv #energy #love #couple #mexico #marriage #ilumexico #climatechange #globalwarming #electric #electricity #energia #amor #rubensalgadoescudero #natgeo #solarportraits #retrato #portrait
I am deeply moved by the events that have taken place over the last few weeks, and feel hopeful and inspired about the potential for real change in this world. In my eyes we cannot expect change in our present and future without addressing our history with raw honesty. In my travels I had the fortune to spend time in the community of Elmina. Elmina was the first European settlement in West Africa, and was one of the most important stops on the trans-Atlantic slave route for nearly 300 years. Here on the shores of present-day Ghana, the Portuguese built a castle which holds a lot of responsibility for the millions of people affected by the African Diaspora in the Americas. While spending time in Elmina, I constantly thought about how that part of their history has such a deep impact on the lives of Elmina’s community and their ability to feel empowered in building a future. A future which should rightfully be bright and prosperous. I haven’t posted my work recently spending a lot of time thinking about what and how to post. I’ve ultimately recognized that my words and images will never be enough. Action is what will drive change and I have laid out some actionable steps for myself to hopefully make a tiny ripple in the ocean of work to be done. I encourage you to do the same. There are innumerable organizations working in marginalized communities around the world. Donate, volunteer, sign your name to causes that matter to you and most importantly speak to your elected officials to let them know their employment is dependent on their ability to listen to their constituents. Today I have made a donation to @projectmaji who is working to bring solar-powered water solutions to communities in Ghana, like Elmina. Providing sustainable solutions to clean water access has innumerable impacts to communities, and even more so under the weight of the pandemic.
Honored to have my work as part of the latest photo book by @insidenatgeo ‘Inside the Curve’. A big thank you to all of the mariachi community in Mexico City who allowed me to tell their story and for the new friendships and connections that were made along the way. #natgeo #insidenatgeo #insidethecurve #photobook @natgeo
Thinking a lot today about Myanmar’s wonderful people. I miss playing Chinlone (the country’s national sport) in the evenings and after drinking a cold beer while talking politics and life. Back in a time when hope was in the air and many believed that real change would arrive. 💔
After being away in Europe through the summer I’m excited to be back home in Mexico. I return feeling grateful, with a filled cup for all of the great collaborations and new friends I’ve made along the way. Thank you to @funke.fu , @museondenhaag @casaseat , @amis_albert_kahn and @neweuropeanbauhaus / @europeanparliament for believing in my work and facilitating for these stories to be seen and heard. ✨
Im honored that this year’s poster for @festival_du_regard features a portrait of Olivia, in Almuñecar, in southern Spain. This is one of the most special places in my life because of my family’s connection to the land. Every summer I travel back there and have watched Olivia grow older since she was born. The year I took this photo, she had been diagnosed with Autism and PDA, Pathological demand disorder. Autism is often referred to the comparison between someone holding a flame or being the fire. When one is autistic all colors of the rainbow exist, however each color has a hue and within it the intensity varies. This is what you would call their personal distinctive traits. Depending where the light falls, so does the focus of what is noticed. I wanted to make a photo that would speak to some of these perceptions and emotions that Olivia experiences within her condition. According to his mother, Girls particularly are very difficult to diagnose because they mask, meaning that they appear to be integrated but in fact have developed a persona that mimics or imitates a lot of what they see in order for them to seem acceptable to the rest of the world. Here she uses a colored solar powered lantern to light her way home. ✨ Thank you @sylviehugues and your team for your important work. #solarportraits
Excited to announce the first-ever exhibition of the Berlin Club Culture project. 1st of October at the Funke Gallery in Gent, Belgium. More details to follow ✨
One year has passed since Berlin’s nightclubs were allowed to open up after being shut down for almost a year due to an enforced lockdown. In Berlin, clubs are much more than entertainment. Many of these clubs offer community and safe spaces for marginalized people from all walks of life. Through the pandemic many people from the community suffered through a long dark winter without being able to connect to their chosen families. Here, Mehrdad poses for a portrait in the club Wilden Renate. Mehrdad holds a conventional job as a sales advisor in an international company, but works passionately as a model and activist to bring awareness to LGBTQ issues, rights and visibility. Being originally from Tehran, Iran he understands intimately the necessity of access to safe spaces for this community, which the electronic music clubs of Berlin have provided to him and countless others. Mehrdad is one of those beautiful souls that I’ve been blessed to get to know through this project. This is part of my project on Berlin’s Club-Culture which was partly published by @natgeo . See the link on my bio.