Catrina's were first created by a Political satirist Jose Guadalupe Posada to mock the upper classes and political injustice. La Catrina's as they are called is now a symbol of Day of the Dead celebrations held in Mexico every November. Wearing her signature hat she depicts a turn of the century upper class lady.
Today Mexican folk artists emulate Posada’s work, recreating La Catrina in wood carvings, ceramics, paintings and other mediums.
I had been to Mexico to witness and document the Day of the Dead festival. During this trip, with the help of my guide, I had the privilege to meet one such family who specialize in making clay Catrina's. The DeLa Cruz family is from Capula, a small village on the outskirts of Patzcuaro in the state of Michoacan. The Dela Cruz family started the tradition of making clay Catrina's in Capula. Now most of the residents earn a living by making Catrina's. In fact the Catrina's made in Capula are famous throughout the state of Michoacan. These are sold during the Day of the Dead celebrations.
The unique thing about this family is, each member does their own Catrina from start to finish, thus giving their signature style. This is different than most people in Capula who work together thus dividing the labor among them, thereby preferring cost and time over uniqueness and signature style.
Click on the slideshow to see the entire gallery.
In front of Angel de la Independencia on Reforma, Mexico City
I rarely shoot someone else's art work. But I was fascinated by the way these Alebrijies were looking at the outside world. Rather than people looking at them, I constantly felt that these fascinating creatures made out of papier mache were looking inquisitively at the world around them.
Manjari had her Bharatanatya Arangetram on September 13th, 2009 at Granville Performance Arts Center. The beautiful, bubbly and highly talented Manjari danced on stage with ease and perfection. The costumes and the backdrop were also gorgeous.
Here are a few glimpses from the show...
Backstage Moments...
Performance
Nisha & Swetha had their Bharatanatya Arangetram on August 30th, 2009 at Granville Performance Arts Center. It was a delight to see these two beautiful girls give a splendid performance. Here are a few glimpses from the show...
Backstage Fun 
Swetha Sankar
Swetha & Nisha
Nisha Iyer
For a complete set of images, please click on the "Client Photos" link at the top of the blog to access my Client site.
Enjoy!
Street Photography is a genre in itself and comes second only to War Photography in its rawness and serendipity. It has always peeked my interest & curiosity because of its nature. I wanted to do this project in a place which was full energy and life. I decided that NYC was one of the best and closest place to go. Since this was my first attempt at Street Photography, I was quite nervous before my trip. I had studied the great Masters and knew what I was up to.
I had gone to NYC with the objective to photograph and capture the culture and vibrancy that this city brings. Give my audience a feel of how the city lives and breathes, not the usual touristy shots but real, everyday moments. I dont know, if I was successful in my project but I do know that I had a great time doing this project. Meeting amazing people and listening to some interesting stories. Due to the time constraint, I concentrated only on a few places like Harlem, Chinatown, Subways, Midtown and the Clubs.
I have divided this photo story into sections as I covered them, so will be posting them in the same order mentioned above. As part of the learning process, I am hoping when you go through the images you will post your comments.
This might sound strange but after visiting NYC it has reminded me more of my hometown Mumbai(Bombay). To add to this nostalgia was the Kaminey movie the weekend before my NYC trip, which has Mumbai backdrop. More than ever, I now have a strong urge to go back to Mumbai and explore the city in greater depths. Maybe do a similar project. I am sure it will be enlightening and enriching too.
Harlem
The best thing I did before my trip was to book my accommodation in the heart of Harlem. To those of you who have been to NYC but not visited Harlem, have missed an experience of a lifetime. Harlem is rich in culture, vibrant and touches your heart. It is an amalgamation of people from various parts of the world. You see Jamaicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Haitians, Ethiopians and many more, but it is primarily a African American neighborhood.
Harlem.
Chinatown
Subway
Manhattan
Night Clubs
Afro-Caribbean Music Festival