Photographer Unearths a Rare Community of People Living in Harmony with Nature

Photographer Kevin Faingnaert ventured to Matavenero, a remote ecovillage high up in the isolated mountains of Northwest Spain, to photograph its nature-loving people. Over the course of the artist’s enlightening stay, he had the opportunity to not only meet the village’s inhabitants, but also learn more about their vision for a sustainable lifestyle.

These intimate interactions resulted in a series depicting personal portraits and natural landscapes that are both raw and captivating. Each image captures the essence of the Matavenero way of life by showcasing the beauty of Mother Nature from the perspective of these eco-conscious individuals. When observing the unembellished photographs, it is almost as if viewers are taken to a world where nature is allowed to retain its wild and free state of being.

Before these villagers populated Matavenero in 1989, it was actually an abandoned piece of property. Unlike other occupied villages in Spain, this group of international people managed to get permission from local authorities to resettle in the area. At the time, it was ruined, overgrown, and without road access, but the eco-friendly crowd soon created gardens for food, cleared old paths, rebuilt ruined homes, and installed a cable transport system to invite more people into their newly designed neighborhood. Ultimately, the main goal of this nature-loving town, which also united the likeminded individuals, was that they all wanted to create a sustainable community where humans could live in harmony with nature.