Summary
This project was created on the Greek island of Hydra, where people still rely on their hands for most daily work. Without cars or machines, tasks like building, fishing, and cleaning are all done manually. I photographed the hands of local men and women to show the strength, skill, and beauty in their labour.
The final work is presented as a grid. Together, they form a visual story about the community, tradition, and human connection that defines life on Hydra.
Oliver Altermatt During several months on the Greek island of Hydra, I became fascinated by how life here continues to depend on human hands. With no cars or heavy machinery, everything — from construction and fishing to daily transport — is done manually. Hands of Hydra grew from this observation, becoming a photographic tribute to the people whose labour quietly sustains the island.
Through a series of close-up portraits of working hands, I explore the physical poetry of touch, time, and resilience. The images reveal stories of craft, endurance, and identity embedded in skin and gesture. Installed as a large-scale grid of square prints, the work forms a collective portrait — a study of connection between people and place. For me, Hands of Hydra is both a documentation and a celebration of a community where tradition, effort, and beauty still live through the hands of its people.