Essays from INDIA: Bodies for sale, Mumbai

Mumbai, the largest meat market in India has reached approximately the figure of 150 thousand prostitutes. Girls are brought with the promise of jobs from all over India and Nepal and sold out to brothels and pimps. “Hijras” (trans-genders), instead, come spontaneously; they are rejected by their families, have no other place to go and this is their only alternative to begging. Male prostitution work differently: usually "gigolos" are students or have normal jobs and sell themselves for "pocket money". They are little tolerated so do not operate openly in the street and look for customers (mostly gays but occasionally also women) in "pick up" bars, through the internet and, late in the night, trains and train stations. The average rate for all the genders is 150 rupees (3 dollars) except for "high range" girls... They live in the residential area of the city, have an apparent “normal life” and are sent to clients directly by their pimp or show up in elegant nightclubs, and their minimum rate is 100 dollars. 

This work has been exhibited in Insa Art Center in Seoul and in Rivus Gallery in Incheon during the "Cultural Interchange Between Korea and Italy", participated in SEOUL PHOTO 2012 and was awarded a Gold Medal at the PX3 (Prix de la Photographie Paris).