Aitor Lara, Spain
Spain: The backyard of a sunny country
They did not cause the crisis but they have to pay for it: many children in Spain have fallen into poverty as a result of the economic crisis. Its effect can be seen, for example, in the form of shabby flats and bleak walls in some parts of Sevilla. And in the faces that show anger, shame but also disbelief.
Click on a picture to enlarge.
Long-term poverty has, however, become part of many children’s biographies, even in wealthy European countries. This fact is all the more bitter in the year that marks the 25th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
Aitor Lara, born in Baracaldo, Spain, in 1974, started his photography career in 1999 and has worked, for example, in Africa, India and Uzbekistan. He documented child poverty in Spain on behalf of “Save the Children”.
Curriculum Vitae: Aitor Lara (for Save the Children)
Born in 1974, Spain.
He addresses issues related to sociocultural values, identity and anonymity, suggesting ways to interpret contemporary realities. He has worked in differents countries bringing to light the anthropological dimensions of social minorities such as indigenous peoples, sex workers, etc.
His professional career began in 1999 upon receiving the photography award from Spanish gallerist Juana de Aizpuru, and showing his work in international photography fairs such as ARCO and ParisPhoto.
In 2004, he receives the research grant Ruy de Clavijo from the Casa Asia program of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain to carry out a project in Uzbekistan. This work resulted in the publication of the book Tower of Silence in 2008. He also published the book Maestranza, a photographic report about the bullring of Seville. This work was exhibited in large format in the facade of the FNAC building in Seville.
In 2010, he participated in the OjodePez Photo Meeting Barcelona. He has published in magazines such as NewsWeek, CNN, NBC, Financial Times, OjodePez or Vokrug Sveta. In 2012, he published the book Ronda Goyesca edited by La Fábrica.
In 2013 he carried out an assignment by Save the Children to document the situation of Children in Poverty in Spain and he also received the Endesa Art Grant to carry out the project Dragoman. In 2014 he received the PhotoEspaña OjodePez Award of Human Values.