Beauty to fight against the “unique story” of violence. Interview with João Ripper

Abstract

As a documentary photographer, Brazilian João Ripper has travelled his vast country and lived with different communities, which he had pictured for the purpose of leading photography towards the service of human rights. Through his project Imagens Humanas (Human Images) he portrays the conflicts endured by different social groups: access to land, housing, slavery, and child labor. In this interview, Ripper reflects on his professional work, his experiences and learning instances, as well as his responsibility to communicate those realities, which he has assumed from a place of affection and fondness (bien querer) in order to show the world the beauty of those considered others.