People nominee

Months ago, my elderly Japanese neighbor, a man I barely knew, was moving out, seemingly unremarkable news. However, the day of his departure revealed a surprising scene. Family members emptied his apartment, carrying an astonishing amount of trash. Curiosity piqued, I learned he suffered from Diogenes syndrome, and his home was a chaotic mix of garbage, humidity, and neglect.

The community president invited me inside, where I was greeted by a stifling atmosphere, yet the play of colors on the walls, ceiling, and floor, transformed by humidity and grease, struck me with awe. Despite the filth, I saw beauty reminiscent of baroque paintings.

Expressing my desire to photograph this unconventional scene, the president was skeptical. Still, I insisted that amid the chaos, there was a hidden beauty. With a nod, she granted permission, saying, "Do as you wish, you'll know best..." And so, I captured the unexpected beauty within the disorder.

Juan Cruz Durán was born in Argentina and has lived in Barcelona since 2001. Much of his 30 years of professional experience focused on fashion photography, but he specialized in advertising and portraits. His personal work is marked by a cinematographic style. Always working in low light to create haunting images with a great plastic load. Professionally, he has worked for several countries in Europe and America. He has produced advertising campaigns for Spotify, Latin Grammy, Havaianas, Shure, Adidas, NBA, Nike, DirecTV, Fútbol Club Barcelona (FCB) among others. Over the years, he has worked for agencies and production companies around the world and for various print media. His work has been exhibited in Europe and America. In 2006 he was awarded by the AFP (Association of Professional Photographers of Spain) with two silver LUX awards for his work in the Nude and Fashion categories, and in 2010 and 2011 he received two gold awards at the Addis Advertising Awards in the United States. . In 2019 he was awarded Platinum in the Advertising category by the GRAPHIS platform. In 2020, the same platform awarded him a Silver in the Nude category.