JAMAIKA is a chronicle of the lives of residents in Portugal’s Bairro da Jamaica, a neighborhood torn apart by change as homes are demolished for development and its inhabitants—mostly African immigrants from Portugal’s former colonies—are displaced and rehoused.
Photographer José Sarmento Matos spent more than three years with families in the neighborhood, gaining intimate access to their lives and their struggle. His photographs reveal a resilient community faced with an existential crisis, fighting for dignified housing and a chance to thrive.
Join Matos for a presentation of his book and screening of the short film he made in the neighborhood, with discussion to follow.
Bio
José Sarmento Matos (@josesarmentomatos) is a Portuguese documentary photographer based in London and Lisbon. He focuses his work on medium/long term projects on themes related to identity and social inequality. He has published his work in media outlets such as The New York Times, New Yorker, Newsweek, Washington Post, and collaborates with Bloomberg, Le Monde, HBO and HISTORY.
