Natasha Forcade
October 12, 2020
Claudia Corrales
October 13, 2020
3

Joyme Cuan

Joyme Cuan-2

(Havana, 1991)
Fine art photographer and photojournalist. Graduated from the Technological University of Havana in 2015. He began his journey through photography in 2014, after taking some workshops in the Creative Photography School of Havana. He also studied photojournalism at the José Martí International Institute of Journalism in 2016. During his career he has been recognized with some awards, such as the first prize on the “Winter” photography contest, sponsored by the Royal Embassy of Norway in Cuba, first prize on the “Cuban children” photography contest, sponsored by Swiss NGO Camaquito and other awards. His pictures have been featured in VISTAR Magazine, Full Frame Magazine, OnCuba News and other media. He is currently the head of the photography department of Tribuna de La Habana newspaper. His artistic work is heavily based on storytelling and world building within his photographs, in order to create moments and craft them rather than just document them. It explores concepts of fantasy, darkness and surrealism within portraiture, utilizing digital manipulation in order to realize an otherwise impossible vision. His style is characterized by photographing individually each element of the final composition previously planned that frame more meaningful universal themes and walks the line between fantasy and reality.



“If you can visualize it, you can do it. The rest is just details”
(Joyme Cuan)

 
project description

The Pursuit of Happiness

 

"The pursuit of happiness" is a personal story, and maybe the story of many people. Based on my favorite movie "The Persuit of Happyness", this series is a journey through different emotions and moods. It's a message of encouragement for some people... or maybe not. Making use of storytelling and symbolism in all scenes, a main character is presented, who interacts with an antagonist in some occasions. The series is photographed entirely making use of digital manipulation, photographing objects and scenes found in everyday life individually and then putting them together in a final composition.

1b
"Being pressed into a non-existent hole just to go out into a world where, for the first time, it’s necessary to breathe", 2019 © Joyme Cuan
2b
“Fight for your dreams, - they said”, 2019 © Joyme Cuan
3new
“Nobody said it was easy. What if it’s too much?”, 2020 © Joyme Cuan
4b
“What if it’s too late?”, 2019 © Joyme Cuan
5b
“I try to stay strong, even if everything moves against me... even if it hurts”, 2020 © Joyme Cuan
6b
“But if we run away from our demons, they will always follow us”, 2019 © Joyme Cuan
7b
“I look inside… If I lose myself, I lose it all”, 2019 © Joyme Cuan
8b
“I’m done… Nothing else matters”, 2019 © Joyme Cuan
9b
“The clock is ticking. I’m about to break”, 2019 © Joyme Cuan
10b
“I walk away, I walk alone…Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil”, 2019 © Joyme Cuan
11b
“I’m not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become”, 2019 © Joyme Cuan
12b
“Maybe happiness is something that we can only pursue….”, 2019 © Joyme Cuan
 
project presentation

This is the concept

“My name is Joyme Cuan. I’m a Cuban photographer. And I'm going to tell you a story... When I was a kid, I lived alone with my mother. My life was full of insecurities. Demons walked around every corner of my house. Those were hard times... I remember once mom asked me: “Are you a happy kid?”... And I don't remember what my answer was... but I never forgot that question... So... what’s the price of being happy? Where is the light at the end of the tunnel? Where do we find those wings to fly, in times where bullets go from one place to another with no truce? When did we stop thinking about what is truly important? When did we hang up the gloves and leave everything behind? That fight with your fears, that risk of being different, that invisible journey, that endless road for some people... is what THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS means to me.”

music: AShamaluevMusic