Beneath the Underdog is a serie I shot in Rio de Janeiro in 2010, inspired by the title of Charles Mingus's autobiography.

 

Santa Rosa Boxing Club is a boxing training center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Over a period of one year, I documented the life and surroundings of anonymous boxers, young and old, poor or rich, washed out champions or rising stars, depicting imagery of athletes who train, grow and dream, often in unglamorous locations and facilities.

 

My approach is to highlight the emotional inner journey of the athletes, to transcribe and pay a tribute to the life force behind the motivation of the young people who dream and the adults who support and coach.

This body of work is a legacy of the rapidly changing face of the city. The Club  doesn't exist anymore. The 19th century building and part of the historical neighborhood has been demolished to prepare to host the new infrastructures for the 2016 Olympic Games, insensible to the drama of destroying historical neighborhoods and relocating people far out in the suburbs.