People of the World is an artistic-anthropological visual research project of people worldwide. As interaction of cultures is very significant to modern society, this project helps understand more about the reality of the planet’s diverse variety of individuals.
The goal of this project is to study, throughout image, human beings and their cultures around the world, taking you from Asia to Europe and from America to Africa.
This study was in progress from 2001 until 2005 and the countries of research were:
The Balkans (Bulgaria, FYR of Macedonia, Romania, Serbia), The Gambia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Morocco, Russian Federation, Senegal, Turkey, U.S.A. and Uzbekistan.
Ultimately, this project will delight people with a “global interest”, by increasing our knowledge in what concerns the vast and diverse planet we live in.
People of the world gives you an interesting perspective about different cultures and the way relations are built up between them as individuals. It can also contribute to understand how cultures and people’s lifestyles change around the globe.
Equipment used for this project:
- Canon EOS 1
- Canon EOS 500
- Fujifilm 35 Sensia 400 Color Film
- Fujifilm 35 Sensia 200 Color Film
About the Author – João Leitão
João Leitão was born in Lisbon, Portugal in 1980 and from an early age has been creatively stimulated to explore various means of expression in the visual arts. Along with Painting, Sculpture and Video, Photography has been one of his interests since 1996.
His awareness in traveling versus photography was brought together while sociology and anthropology of art kept his attention back at university.
Thoughtful in how photography can actually work with his artistic way of seeing the world, João combined his visual arts background with an anthropological visual research creating “People of the World”.
João Leitão currently lives in Agadir, south Morocco. You can visit his travel project entitled Nomad Revelations – Adventure Travel Blog with ideas and exotic narratives to inspire independent travelers. Other places João was planning to include in this project were Socotra, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia, but it was never possible. Nowadays, it’s possible to join organized tours in Iraq, a destination that was once challenging to visit.
Curriculum Vitae
Studies
- Satakunnan Ammattikorkeakoulu, Kankaanpää, Finland
- Borja Pinilla Art Academy, Badajoz, Spain
- University of Évora, Visual Arts, Évora, Portugal
- National Society of Fine Arts, Lisbon, Portugal
Art Exhibits
- Galeria IDEARTE, Madrid, Spain
- Satakunnan Ammattikorkeakoulu, Kankaanpää, Finland
- 5th Exhibition of Visual Arts-Évora University, CAME, Portugal
- Trajectos, Galeria Espaço-Aberto, Évora, Portugal
- S.H.E., Gallery of Évora’s Ministry of Culture, Portugal
- III International Biennale of Young Art of Vila Verde, Portugal
- Igual III, Arte e Oficina Gallery, Setúbal, Portugal
- Igual IV, Gallery of the House of Vilarinhos, Melgaço, Portugal
- Igual V, House of Macau, Lisboa, Portugal
- 3rd Exhibition of Visual Arts-Évora University, Leões, Portugal
- Tomodachi Gallery, Manhattan, USA
- I Astoria Art Fair, Queens, USA
- Encontros Criativos, S. Pedro’s Palace, Évora, Portugal
- 1st Exhibition of Visual Arts-Évora University, Leões, Portugal
- Évora University, Espírito Santo, Portugal
- S. João de Brito Lisbon’s City Council, Lisbon, Portugal
Extras
- Feng-Shui Techniques in Commercial Areas, APME, Évora, Portugal
- Photography workshop with Steve Mccurry, New York, USA
- Volunteer Children Art workshops monitor, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- Expedition Évora-Tambacounda 2004
- Intermedia Workshop with Prof. Jane Gilmor (Mount Mercy College, Iowa), Évora, Portugal
- Children Art workshops monitor, MARCA, Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal
- Photographic work for Jazz band Fulutchin
- Photographic work for Rock band Prime
- Kung-Fu Lótus instructer 1999-2006
- 8th Lisbon’s Photographic Marathon
- 7th Lisbon’s Photographic Marathon
Countries traveled
Africa
- North Africa: Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia
- West Africa: Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Mauritania
- East Africa: Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda
- Central Africa: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Asia
- Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan
- South Asia: Afghanistan, Iran, Nepal
- East Asia: China, North Korea
- Southeast Asia: Singapore, Malaysia
- Middle East: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Oman, Turkey, United Arab Emirates
Europe
- Southern Europe: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Macedonia, Malta, Kosovo, Montenegro, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Vatican
- Western Europe: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Switzerland
- Eastern Europe: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine
- Northern Europe: Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland
North America
- Caribbean: Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago
- Central America: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama
- North America: Canada, Mexico, United States of America
South America
- South America: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela
Oceania
- Polynesia: New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa
- Melanesia: Fiji
- Australasia: Australia
Antarctica
- Antarctica Peninsula: Horseshoe Island, Stonington Island, Petermann Island, Port Lockroy, Jougla Point, Neko Harbour, Almirante Brown Antarctic Base, Danco Island, Cuverville Island
- South Shetland Islands: Deception Island, Half Moon Island