2022 / Editorial / Photo Essay

Gypsy Hill

  • Photographer
    Bela Varadi
  • Agency / Studio
    studio90s.com

It has been more than 20 years since I left the East-Hungarian gypsy settlement where I grew up. Poverty can be harsh but living as a Roma in rural Hungary is even harsher. My parents and my siblings were not so lucky as me and they could not escape fate. They have tried to have a better life but the gravity of the gypsy hill was always stronger. Hundreds of thousands of Roma in Hungary are struggling with the gravity of poverty and discrimination.

For decades I have been trying to integrate my two main interests; creating visual art and represent the life and interest of Roma people in Hungary. I moved to the UK 2012 I started educating myself in photography and after years of experimenting, I secured freelance positions in photo studios in London. In my free time, I could return to create photo-documentary series. I started various projects about immigration, Roma journalism, and minority representations.