Photography for me is a means to express every individual’s inner self; their most deeply entrenched conflicts, feelings and loneliness. Using photography as a documentary tool allows me to reveal their psychological depth at just the right moment and the effect that person or the place I’m photographing has on me.
Each photo I take forms a part of my history, my tradition and my past. I identify with women. Despite this being the 21st century, women continue to be a stereotyped entity and continue to face many societal conflicts. So photographing their torments, situations and loneliness forms part of my work and is no more than a reflection of my own self.
Portraying rural life, in all its forms and in general the reality of Cuba today, is like reliving each moment of my childhood, making me who I am today and revealing every person who has surrounded and inspired me. With a simple attentive look, I photograph the things taking place before me.
Leysis Quesada Vera