Azure waters, verdant forests, a fiery cuisine, and warm locals &mdash; Mexico brings to mind beautiful images. It's the land that has harboured ancient civilisations, inspired a vibrant culture, and given the world the gift that was the painter Frida Kahlo. We could go on.
<img title="A young boy leans against a Jarocho-style wall. Pic&acirc;&Acirc;u00c2u0080&Acirc;u00c2u0088courtesy/Ana D Lombard" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/aug/29young-boy-1.jpg" alt="A young boy leans against a Jarocho-style wall. Pic&acirc;&Acirc;u00c2u0080&Acirc;u00c2u0088courtesy/Ana D Lombard" /> A young boy leans against a Jarocho-style wall. Pic u00c2u0088courtesy/Ana D Lombard
Now, you can step away from Mumbai's traffic-laden streets and into this enchanting land through a photography exhibition featuring works by Lourdes Almeida and Ana Dominguez Lombard.
Organised by the Embassy of Mexico, the exhibition is part of larger celebrations planned in the city in honour of Mexico's 206th Independence Day. "The nation has a rich cultural and social heritage, and both photographers have approached the subject in their own diverse ways," says Smita Mohta, Public Relations, Honorary Consulate of Mexico.
Down memory lane The first collection, Lombard's Mi Veracruz, although driven by a different motive, manages to capture the raw emotion behind the faces of the people in the photographs. Dripping with nostalgia, Lombard has successfully managed to capture the society that surrounded her while she was growing up, in Veracruz City.
<img title="A woman from Veracruz in traditional Jarocho attire. Pic&acirc;&Acirc;u00c2u0080&Acirc;u00c2u0088courtesy/Ana D Lombard" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/aug/29woman-1.jpg" alt="A woman from Veracruz in traditional Jarocho attire. Pic&acirc;&Acirc;u00c2u0080&Acirc;u00c2u0088courtesy/Ana D Lombard" /> A woman from Veracruz in traditional Jarocho attire. Pic u00c2u0088courtesy/Ana D Lombard
Conceived in 1519, Veracruz City is Mexico's oldest European-founded settlement. Over the centuries, several merchants, communities, stories and legends have made their way through it, leaving it bustling with a prominent migrant population.
The people in her photographs are stuck halfway between a world filled with colour and one that is sepia-tinged. It is almost as if they are caught in time.
<img title="A family of florists from Mexico City. Pic courtesy/Lourdes Almeida" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/aug/29family-1.jpg" alt="A family of florists from Mexico City. Pic courtesy/Lourdes Almeida" /> A family of florists from Mexico City. Pic courtesy/Lourdes Almeida
Mohta says, "Lombard's is a work of memory. She captures the sights and the people of the lively port city where she was born. Migrants that settled down in Veracruz City, and their descendants find a place in her photographs."
A family affair An award-winning photographer, Almeida focuses on Mexican families she encountered on her travels through different regions of the country back in the early '90s. The result is this collection titled Mexican Family Portrait &mdash; a stunning and insightful depiction of the country's family units.
<img title="A family of artisans from Santa Catarina in Jalisco, Mexico. Pic courtesy/Lourdes Almeida" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/aug/29Santa-Catarina-1.jpg" alt="A family of artisans from Santa Catarina in Jalisco, Mexico. Pic courtesy/Lourdes Almeida" /> A family of artisans from Santa Catarina in Jalisco, Mexico. Pic courtesy/Lourdes Almeida
Through Almeida's portraits, you get an idea about the diverse ethnic backgrounds and different family structures that exist in the country. A closer look reveals the stories of each family &mdash; what their occupations, and their relationship with each others might be.
"The people and culture of Mexico are the result of an indigenous and Spanish duality. Almeida's photographs illustrate this duality in lifestyles, value systems, traditions and beliefs of these families," says Mohta.
Till September 8, 12 pm to 8 pm (closed on September 5) AT Piramal Art Gallery, NCPA, Nariman Point. Call 22029483

Author Jerry Pinto to discuss the perils of translating regional works into English

Ahead of Mexico's 206th Independence Day, a photography exhibition takes Mumbaikars on a visual journey of the country

A Mexican wave in Mumbai

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A Mexican wave in Mumbai

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