Captured over the course of several years, Brazil Tropical Light by Alex Almeida is a thoroughly compelling tribute to the remarkably diverse, yet historically disenfranchised communities of his homeland.

Brazil is one of the most ethnically heterogeneous countries on earth yet many minority groups are excluded from mainstream society and routinely face discrimination, mistreatment, and oppression.

Informed by a deep humanism and a burning desire to honestly transcribe the world around him, Brazilian photographer Alex Almeida has spent the last few decades traversing some of his home country’s most peripheral locations, from the heart of the Amazon rainforest to the urban centers of the north.

His lens chronicles a tapestry of cultures and traditions, indigenous Amazonian communities whose land and way of life is increasingly under threat, and the African diasporic groups who remain largely sidelined from the dominant discourse, and whose marginalization is a poignant commentary on the country’s dark colonial past.

Evoking the works of some of the medium’s greatest practitioners, Almeida captures candid depictions of quotidian life, religious ceremonies, cultural celebrations, or simply children playing in the streets; subtle moments of joy, prayer, romance, and conviviality, cast in a swatch of vivid colors, and soaked in the warm glow of the tropical sun.

Characterized by a profound perceptivity and a remarkable apprehension of light, Almeida’s deeply-moving images collectively serve not only as evidence of the very existence of these communities, but additionally as a tribute to the unique diversity of this fascinating nation.

– Alex Almeida is a Brazilian photographer whose compelling documentary practice investigates themes of development, environment, culture, and ethnicity, both in his home country and beyond.