This Family, photo essay
Andrew Gray (September 22nd, 2008)
This Family/Esta Familia
In the hills outside of Antigua, Guatemala – an area known for extreme poverty, violence and gang rule – I came to know Ana, Julio, and their 5 young children. While documenting their home and family, I was humbled by their hospitality and warmed by their incredible spirit. As much of the Guatemalan population lives in varying levels of poverty, and many either wait or work for change, the lives and “everyday” stories of those surviving near-impossible situations are often invisible from view or thoughts, except to illustrate the occasional news bite or political campaign.
I am moved and heavily influenced by the act of survival and the various forms it takes, particularly in how it manifests in daily life, whether it is obviously visible or not. This series began as a question to myself of what survival looks like, and my hope is that it serves as a tribute to one family of many, and their unconditional spirit and love that get them through each day.
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