Olympic Favela

In 'OLYMPIC FAVELA I portray the people affected by forced evictions in Rio de Janeiro's favelas ahead of the World Cup (2014) and 2016 Olympic Games. 'OLYMPIC FAVELA' is composed of two bodies of work: One is a series of portraits of residents in 14 of Rio de Janeiro's impoverished communities who are facing evictions from their homes. The other is a series of performative images - here I directed the favela residents to pose for me holding emergency flares to create a visual representation of their struggle and resistance while using a gesture that is also universally associated with liberation, independence and celebration.