Hortus Conclusus is a photography project that opens the doors to the livelihoods of peasant workers enduring harsh conditions to cultivate the barren land of São Vicente island in Cabo Verde. From 2017 to 2020, I forged relationships with these individuals through frequent visits to rural areas, gaining access to a sphere of trust and intimacy. Soon, I discovered a plurality of motivations driving their commitment to the land: necessity, recreation or obligation. Cabo Verde, a fragile island nation, is disproportionately impacted by climate change despite its minimal environmental footprint. Hortus Conclusus, Latin for "enclosed garden", is an important topic from garden art history and Medieval and Renaissance painting, often depicted as a backdrop for Virgin Mary representations. This motif influenced some of the portraiture in the work. It also reflects the physical enclosure of these spaces, fenced against the harsh winds that batter the islands, and the social enclosure due to marginalisation and issues like alcohol abuse and poor living conditions.