Ivan Szabolcs

Romani Gypsies gathering wood for survival

This project is of Romani Gypsies collecting wood for their survival. They require wood for day to day living, for firewood for cooking and so that they can heat their huts in temperature which can be as low as -25 C. This series of images also cover different underlying issues: the complex relationship between man and environment, poverty, environmental issues, social position, the problem of social integration and the restricted opportunities the Romas face. These communities have very limited options to earn a living due lack of education and integration within society. My motivation for producing this project is to create awareness of their current position in society and to highlight their complex social situation. There are a number of factors such as cultural differences, origin, racism, lack of integration and deeply embedded social conflicts that have caused these issues over hundreds of years. I aim to document and bring awareness to this problem through my photographs in the hope of bringing understanding between the Romani communities and Western society.

Photographer

Szabolcs Ivan

I am a travel and documentary photographer. I was born in Serbia and completed my studies in Hungary and Finland, gaining a degree in journalism and photography.

Having travelled the globe, my continuing passion is to photograph extraordinary people. I visually document their stories, by capturing everyday life whilst delivering an intimate perspective drawing in the outside observer. I do this by immersing myself in the customs and surrounding environment, which allows me to document a true and personal insight into these cultures.

I am currently based in the UK and working on a number of exciting long-term personal projects.

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