Mexican photographer works to expose the injustice of poverty

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While Karla Hernandez Mares studied the art of photography as a teenager, she later found the camera could be a powerful tool for raising awareness and international support in the fight against human suffering.As a documentary photographer based in Mexico City, Hernandez Mares has used her lens to investigate human rights violations and reflect the reality of conditions face d by people living in devastating poverty. She has worked with Amnesty International, the Equipo Argentino de Antropologia Forense, Fundacion para la Justicia y el Estado Democratico de Derecho, and the Community Police Monitoring Project (MOCIPOL) based at the Tlachinollan Human Rights Center in Tlapa, Guerrero. She also coordinated outreach, training and documentation for the migrant rights component of the Mexican chapter of the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal, an international organization that uses International human rights law and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples adopted by the United Nations to investigate crimes against humanity around the world. Hernandez Mares began working with Amnesty International in 2009. She said the organization – with more than 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries – has been an important partner in helping to protect the rights of indigenous peoples in Mexico.

Border tattoo artists pleased to see their work gaining ‘fine art’ recognition

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In recent years, tattoos have transitioned from taboo to mainstream and are now being embraced by the art world, much like graffiti. “Tattoos are a part of pop culture now,” said Chris “Drts” Aragon of Sun City Tattoos. “They are so common nowadays that they actually make people more approachable.”

The growing popularity of tattoos is evident in reality television shows such as “Miami Ink,” “Ink Master,” and “Tattoo Nightmares.” Some advertisers are now also legitimizing tattoos by using tattooed models to sell products like perfume and clothing. “I think tattoos are seen in society with a more open mind nowadays,” said Myker Yrrobali, another artist at Sun City Tattoos.