honorable mention
Juan Rodríguez Morales
title
Colors of Little China
Many of its inhabitants have been in the neighborhood for more than twenty years and step by step they have created their own microcosm. Advertisements, shops, restaurants,... everything is perceived differently when you leave the metro station. As one advances through its streets and reaches the heart of the neighborhood, the contrast grows. The norms and customs seem to be uncommon, turning the visitor into a kind of tourist who travels the streets of a foreign city. I have been that tourist during the time that I have spent completing this project. It has not been an easy job. The Chinese community is quite secretive and its inhabitants are reluctant to be photographed. However, the strange mix that has been created in this neighborhood between its typical Spanish features and the new colors brought by these Chinese immigrants make it an irresistible subject for the street photographer.
In 2003, he completed his studies in psychology. Afterwards, he studied photography in Alcobendas (Madrid) at People´s University. His first project was a documentation of refugee camps in Western Sahara, which culminated in his first exhibtion. Since, he has worked on several projects more focused on street photography. In 2011, Juan Rodríguez Morales participated in a photo workshop with Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb, which changed his vision on photography. Since then he works hardly in new projects focused on street and documentary photography. In 2013, Juan was recognized during Photo España under Discoveries because of his project "One Big City". He has participated in a few collective exhibitions and publications. In 2015 he receives an Honorable Mention for the FotoVisura Grant for Outstanding Personal Photography Project with his work "Ghost world".
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entry description
This project was made in the purest street photography tradition. For more than a year I have traveled the streets of one of the most picturesque neighborhoods of Madrid: Usera, also known as the Little China of Madrid. In recent years, the Chinese community in Spain has grown exponentially, developing important economic and commercial activity in most of the country's major cities. In Madrid, the Chinese population is one of the largest in Spain, numbering 11,000 in the Usera neighborhood. Starting with a working class foundation, the neighborhood has been transformed with the arrival of Chinese immigrants. There is no doubt that the presence of this community has enriched the life of the capital. An example of this is the celebration of Chinese New Year, in which thousands of people come to Usera to see the colorful parades that run through its streets and learn about some of the traditions of this community.Many of its inhabitants have been in the neighborhood for more than twenty years and step by step they have created their own microcosm. Advertisements, shops, restaurants,... everything is perceived differently when you leave the metro station. As one advances through its streets and reaches the heart of the neighborhood, the contrast grows. The norms and customs seem to be uncommon, turning the visitor into a kind of tourist who travels the streets of a foreign city. I have been that tourist during the time that I have spent completing this project. It has not been an easy job. The Chinese community is quite secretive and its inhabitants are reluctant to be photographed. However, the strange mix that has been created in this neighborhood between its typical Spanish features and the new colors brought by these Chinese immigrants make it an irresistible subject for the street photographer.
about the photographer
Born in Madrid (Spain) in 1980, Juan Rodríguez Morales is an emerging documentary photographer based in Madrid.In 2003, he completed his studies in psychology. Afterwards, he studied photography in Alcobendas (Madrid) at People´s University. His first project was a documentation of refugee camps in Western Sahara, which culminated in his first exhibtion. Since, he has worked on several projects more focused on street photography. In 2011, Juan Rodríguez Morales participated in a photo workshop with Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb, which changed his vision on photography. Since then he works hardly in new projects focused on street and documentary photography. In 2013, Juan was recognized during Photo España under Discoveries because of his project "One Big City". He has participated in a few collective exhibitions and publications. In 2015 he receives an Honorable Mention for the FotoVisura Grant for Outstanding Personal Photography Project with his work "Ghost world".
back to gallery