Sunday, January 12, 2025

Unseen life of women in Mexican villages subject of Cholula photo exhibit

Photojournalist Joseph Sorrentino isn’t afraid of finding himself in the middle of nowhere.

Since he began coming to Mexico 25 years ago to photograph Day of the Dead celebrations in Metepec, México state, the Staten Island native has taken his trusty Nikon camera with him everywhere he goes while living and traveling throughout Mexico, documenting life in both cities and remote villages, photographing average Mexicans doing everything from the quotidian to the extraordinary.

His quest to capture the life of average people in Mexico has at times taken him to places and events rarely seen even by many Mexicans.

Sorrentino’s photographs have graced the pages of Mexico News Daily for the last two years, giving our readers a close-up look at indigenous rituals dating back centuries, the traditional process of making artisanal tequila, the life of village farmers and Day of the Dead artists, the hard work of Acapulco fishermen plying their trade and much more.

When he’s not taking photos, he’s also the writer of books and plays, including a book about one of Mexico City’s indigenous pueblos originarios, San Gregorio Atlapulco.

farm woman in San Agustin, Morelos
A woman in a farming village in San Agustín, Morelos, harvesting nopal cactus.

The Centro Cultural Somos Uno in San Pedro Cholula, Puebla, is recognizing Sorrentino’s work in Mexico with a solo photography exhibit entitled Campesinas y Mujeres de Pueblos Ancestrales (Farm Women and Women of Ancestral Towns), now on display at the center through March 23.

The exhibit, featuring 36 black-and-white photographs from his projects undertaken between 2003 and 2021, highlights women at work at home and in the fields, as well as their role in traditional ceremonies. The exhibit is aptly timed for Women’s History Month in March.

If you’re in Cholula this week, stop by the Centro Cultural Somos Uno this Saturday at 6 p.m. CST for the exhibit’s opening reception, where you can meet Sorrentino in person.

  • The Centro Cultural Somos Uno is located at Calle 3 Oriente #210, San Pedro Cholula, Puebla. For more information, visit the center’s Facebook page.

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