Mexican photographer captures spirit of children

Tania Budihardjo, Contributor, Jakarta

Mexican photographer Manuel Penafiel lives up to the tag of "specialist" with his authentic portrayal of his country's culture.

In his latest exhibition in Jakarta, Children of Mexico, which ends on Aug. 25, he presents just that.

In this collection of colored photographs, all taken in the late 1970's, the viewer glimpses the everyday activities and moments that make up the lives of typical Mexican children.

Like his earlier exhibition titled My People last month, the lifestyles reflected are markedly earthy, simple, and reminiscent of those in other less-developed countries. The young girl in Handkerchief Saleswoman, for example, would blend in should she be transported to a street in Jakarta.

Regardless of whether the children's' activities are familiar, the children will be.

Children's Theater, for instance, depicts children in their prime: wrapped up in innocent playtime, and from the glee on their faces, having a great time, too.

Coyoacan Plaza shows a pre-pubescent girl chasing pigeons in a park with that unrestrained joyful laughter which is the true mark of youth.

An image of a young boy playing with a baby on a humble streetside, fancifully titled Acrobats, reminds one of the magic of a child's imagination. Standing out due to its grim mood, Three Broken Dolls is an honest, less conventional view of children struggling to survive.

Penafiel also presents images that are more recognizably Mexican. Home Altar shows a young boy standing next to a Catholic altar, which is obviously a revered part of the family's home.

A stereotypical image of Mexico, thanks in part to the Chiquita company, Dance of the Pineapple features a young girl dancing in traditional festive dress.

Captured in Penafiel's collection are the colloquial, commonplace moments of day-to-day life, and the children of a people fully engulfed in Mexico's mainstream melting pot, who possess humble origins and whose ways of life revolve around Mexican traditions and values.

Penafiel, renowned for his dedication to preserving those values, has also preserved that most precious of pristine treasures, the nature of children. As Constantino Morales, Cultural Attache of the Embassy of Mexico says, "What you see is the spirit of children. The children of Mexico are the same as the children of Indonesia. Children are children everywhere. They have the same games, the same dreams."

-- Children of Mexico is showing at La Casa de Mexico, Jl. Panglima Polim III No.1-3, Kebayoran Baru, and runs until Aug. 25, 2002. The exhibition is open from 11 am to 6 pm.