Exhibition
Semana Santa: An Exhibition of Photographs by Emma Leafe - Gallery 1885
Emma Leafe is pleased to announce the opening of her 'first solo exhibition' at Gallery 1885, 16 Bowden Street London SE11 4DS.
The exhibition that Emma Leafe will be showing over Easter, will attempt to sum up her observations of the Semana Santa festivities in Guatemala, taken last April. She documents the extraordinary transformations taking place from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday from two different perspectives.
The colonial capital of Antigua de Guatemala sets the stage for week long processions, running late into the night. Thousands of participants enact scenes from the Passion of Christ, watched by further tens of thousands of devoted believers from across Latin America.
A rather different climate surrounds the celebrations deep in the mountainous, remote highlands of the country. Here Catholic and Pre-Columbian traditions have blended together over the centuries. One of the most intriguing aspects of this religious amalgamation, largely celebrated by indigenous Guatemalans, is the deity of Maximon or San Simon. This unique character, worshipped with offerings of cigarettes, alcohol and Coca Cola, is disallowed from the church, however shamelessly vies for attention with Jesus during this annual confrontation.
Please RSVP to info@emmaleafe.co.uk
