TITLE: Sugar Cane Heroes

Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s moral guide known as Gandhi’s Talisman, this photography series ventures directly into the sugar cane fields of Jalisco, Mexico, to capture the faces of those who are most vulnerable and struggling—the migrant Indigenous field workers of Mexico. The goal of these images is to give a human face to the moral question Gandhi challenges us to ask: Will the step I am about to take help the poorest and most vulnerable? Will it restore them to control over their own lives and destinies?

Calleja’s series, titled Sugar Cane Heroes, encourages reflection on the concept of freedom for the millions who suffer from hunger and spiritual deprivation. It invites viewers to consider how, when our own self-interest becomes too dominant, we must pause and evaluate the effects of our choices on the weakest members of society, in this case, the migrant indigenous field workers of México that make less than USD$ 13 a day working 12 hours in the blazing sun.

AUTHOR: Ignacio Calleja (Mexico)

Ignacio Calleja was born in Zamora, Michoacán, Mexico, and currently resides in Guadalajara, Jalisco. He began his photographic journey at the age of 20, taking private lessons with a well-established commercial photographer and photography teacher in Guadalajara. Calleja also attended film school, gaining valuable experience as a director of photography on various digital video projects.

In the early stages of his career, Calleja described his work as documentary photography. Over time, however, his focus shifted toward artistic creations, often produced in his personal studio, where he drew inspiration from techniques in jewelry and product photography.

Calleja’s first exhibitions were held in his hometown and focused on documentary subjects, including a series on organic fair-trade coffee inspired by a trip to the Chiapas region of Mexico. He concluded this documentary phase with a project centered on sugar cane field workers, paired with a text from Mahatma Gandhi’s "Gandhi’s Talisman." This "Sugar Cane Heroes" series led to both a solo exhibition where the photographs were taken, and an international solo exhibition in Woodland, California, in 2015.

In 2019, Ignacio Calleja made a significant artistic leap with his exhibition "Geometric Perspectives," which later evolved into his current photography series, "Kaleidoscopic Sculptures." This work is part of his ongoing "Instant Sculptures" project, which also includes the "Ink Sculptures" series.