Jose Hernández is a Venezuelan dreamer, creative, art director and photographer who has been living in different countries for the past seven years, and is now based in Amsterdam. His photographs of India reflect the country’s evolution and its future.
How did you get interested in photography and why did you pick photography as a medium and form of expression?
Three years ago I wanted to take pictures of a girl that I was in love with, that is how I started with film cameras. Since then I’ve been taking photographs and trying to find myself in photography everyday. I think I picked this medium because I studied graphic design and I’ve always been closed to it, going to amazing shoots (but not always). That taught me to document moments of interesting things in life.
Your series While Some Work, Others Sleep takes place in India, where did you go and who are these people you met?
They are people that help me to understand a bit of the incredible world of India, people that I found on my way and asked a lot of questions. I spent time in a local house in the cleanest village of Asia, then I ride in motorbike around northeast and I visited Guwahati, Shillong, Dawki. I walked around three islands in Andaman and Nicobar and I also went to Delhi, Jaisalmer, Jaipur and Jodphur.
I took the photographs in India in different cities and villages. I visited Delhi, Mawlynnong, Guwahati, Shillong, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Port blair, Neil island, Havelock
What did you want your images to communicate, how do you hope viewers react to your series?
I wanted my message to be the one that people told me. The main message was that it’s true that India is growing and evolving but in at the same time there are a lot of politicians and people that are not working on building the future of India. While some people are making India’s economy one of the fastest-growing in the world, other neglect to have a good future. While communities fight for breath better, other keep using coal and collaborate with the toxic air that is now contributing to nearly 1.1 million deaths a year. While some are cleaning, others throw rubbish just because it’s what everyone does. While some are working their ass off, other are sleeping.
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