Valdir Cruz

Brazilian, 1954

Since 1994, Valdir Cruz has taken photographs of the Yanomami Indians, a native tribe of both northern Brazil and remote regions of Venezuela. Their culture and their lives have been damaged and threatened by the encroachments of the modern world (including anthropologists), and, more recently, by illegal gold miners and loggers. Cruz has coupled photographing the Yanomami with doing commendable relief work, often delivering medicine and conducting medical research. His portraits are both formal and informal, they glorify the ancient roots of the Yanomami. In another portrait, the subject looks directly into the camera, her face her nose pierced with decorative bone. Her relaxed expression indicates her trust in the photographer. Cruz has visited frequently enough that his subjects are willing to pose for him.