Blind Colombian photographer embraces Impressionism

By Juancho Torres

MEDELLIN, Colombia

Since losing his sight, Gustavo Adolfo Vargas Arboleda has found a way to help people with disabilities realize their potential.

Photographer Arboleda, 35, turned to art when he began going blind at the age of 17 and now runs a project that he sees as an extension of the late 19th and early 20th centuries' Impressionist movement.

His Blind Project aims to prove that not being able to see is just a physical condition and should not have a negative effect on peoples’ artistic endeavors.

Based in Medellin province, Arboleda describes the process as “driving his senses all the time”.

His photographic work reflects Impressionism in that it finds different ways to interpret life, he said.

Arboleda, who was born in Manizalez province, developed his art through graphite drawings, sculptures and photography when he was younger.

Once he finished a particular work, he would ask friends to describe the results to him.

Reporting by Juanco Torres:Writing by Sena Guler