Born and based in San José, Costa Rica, photographer Allan Salas describes his practice as a poetic exploration revolving around introspection and self-analysis through themes of mortality, the passage of time, and the relationship between nature and the self.

Salas began his project, “The Rooted Heart Began to Change,” shortly after the death of his grandmother, and his father’s heart attack, explaining: “These two painful events lead me on a 10-month journey where I wandered across the country, photographing the eerie landscape I encountered as a way to cope with the overwhelming feelings of sorrow and existential dread. It is an open diary, illustrating an inward exploration of the spirit seeking to understand human anguish in the face of the unknown.”

“The Rooted Heart Began to Change” will be published as a photobook by Witty Books in Autumn, 2022. See more from the project below!