In November 2011 I went to Tocantins, Brazil, to photograph a cultural and sports event created by Brazilian indians where I had the opportunity to stay together with about 35 ethnic groups from different parts of the country.
During a week involved with the them closely I could notice some importante issues being discussed among them, like: demarcation of land, conservation of culture, alcoholism in the villages, and the image of the indian from their experience in the cities.
In many cases the manners, the ritual religious and the traditional surviving behavior are no longer practiced, which donâ??t make them less indians, but for many times this transitional moment between a peasant community tradition and the modernity of the urban centers, they suffer prejudice when they donâ??t adapt themselves exactly to the efficiency and productivity of the social and economical ideal of the cities and also because they carry a physical feature culturally stigmatized.
Between moments of reflexion about who the indians are and what they think, I photographed the Indigenous Games trying to register some aspects that shape their multiple identities.
Kenji Arimura is a Brazilian born freelance photographer based in São Paulo, Brazil. He studied photography at City of Westminster College while working in a portrait studio and assisting high end fashion photographers in London. The experience gained in different fields of the photography enhanced the visual impact of his documentary and fine-art work, be it to raise awareness or to express his thoughts. At the moment his personal projects are related to the fascinating and colorful Brazilian culture.
Awards 2011 International Photography Awards/Lucie Foundation - USA, honorable mention.
2011 Premio Fundacao Conrado Wessel de Arte - Brazil, 3rd place.
2010 Contemporary Diary of Photography Awards – Brazil, runner up.
