José Israel Abrantes: The Gaze That Weaves Stories in the Brazilian Sertão

In Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, José Israel Abrantes has been building an affective visual archive of deep Brazil for over four decades. At 67 years old, the self-taught photographer – who swapped drawings for a camera in 1978 when he bought his first Canon FT – has developed a unique documentary language, focused on the dignity of daily work and the traditions that endure in the country’s interior. His photography, which became his profession in 1980, functions as a bridge between ancestral crafts and the contemporary world, revealing knowledge that persists despite time.

His image “Masters“, a finalist in the Single Image category of the FotoDoc Photo Contest 2025, is an emblematic portrait of this trajectory and displays the artisan Severino Vitalino in his workshop in Caruaru (PE). Part of his own book “Sertões do Brasil” (Backlands of Brazil), the photograph opens the chapter dedicated to craftsmanship, celebrating not only the technique but the wisdom transmitted between generations. With a gaze that values authenticity over perfection, Abrantes captures the essence of people in their daily labor, revealing the raw and sincere beauty of the gestures that shape Brazilian culture. The image synthesizes his search for stories born from the ground, the clay, the wood, and the fabric – materials transformed by hands that carry memories and crafts that define identities.

Discover more about this project and the future books that map the soul of Minas Gerais and Ceará in the following interview.

How old are you? Where do you currently live and work?

67 years old, Nova Lima, MG.

Tell us about your journey in photography. When did you start photographing and why? What role does photography play in your life?

I started photographing in 1978 because I really liked to draw and a friend had a camera. In 1978 I bought a Canon FT. Photography has been my job since 1980.

Tell us about your finalist work for the FotoDoc Photo Contest 2025. When and where was it created? What is its concept? How does it fit into your photographic practice?

This photo was taken for a project for a book “Sertões do Brasil” (Backlands of Brazil) of my authorship. It opens the chapter about Crafts.

I like to photograph people in their daily work.

What projects are you currently working on? What are your near-future plans for photographic production?

A photography book about the popular festivals of Minas Gerais: “Minas em Festa” (Minas in Celebration), with 204 pages.

Yes, I have 3 projects ahead:

• “No meu quintal” (In My Backyard): photos of birds that frequent my backyard.

• “Praia de Ponta Grossa, Ceará” (Ponta Grossa Beach, Ceará): document the daily life of the fishing community with their jangadas (rafts).

• “Rio Jequitinhonha” (Jequitinhonha River): document the communities along the course of the Jequitinhonha River.