From the depths of a Kenyan slum to a hut’s dirt floor in a remote Bolivian village, Faces of Dignity is an book and gallery exhibition of stunning portraits that show the strength, courage, and nobility of people who live under impoverished conditions. Stories accompanying the images share stories of the people portrayed—and convey a message that many of us often miss. “We seem to think that the ‘poor’”, says photographer Jeff DeKock, “with few financial resources, have nothing to offer. Yet if we are able to leave the comforts of the western world behind and spend some time listening, we often find that they have a resource that few of us realized: a wealth of understanding, experiences, and insight into humanity that is very different from our own.”
The 120-page book, was launched in December of 2009 and includes nearly
100 full color photographs and 14 stories from around the globe. The book is
on sale now at a series of bookstores in Michigan and Illinois. Not near those
stores? Use the links on the right to place and order.
The exhibit, previously hosted at the Jackson Hole Center for the Arts and Ciao Gallery, in Wyoming, and currently on display at the Seerveld Gallery in Chicago, contains thirty-two photographs from over dozen countries. All of the works express an often-unseen beauty of those living in very different and often difficult places while also challenging its audience to see “the poor” in a different light.
All funds raised from the book and exhibit go directly to the Chipaya Water Project and Open Hand’s other program activities.