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"lighten and uplift
them, so that they may soar on the wings of the Divine verses"
-Baha'u'llah
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Beauty
of the feminine spirit
CORDOBA, Spain, 25 August 2003 (BWNS)
-- A soft sari adorns an
Indian woman as she shoulders a heavy water pot.
An elder of the Navajo people decorates her
practical clothing with a turquoise necklace.
The
long finger extensions of a Thai lady suggest
she may be about to dance.
These
are some of the images captured by Spanish
photographer Francisco Gonzales and reproduced
in a book of photographs portraying women around
the world. |
Dignity...an Indian woman carrying water.
(Photo: Francisco Gonzalez) |
Mr.
Gonzales introduces subjects dressed in myriad costumes
and performing a variety of roles: homemakers,
grandmothers, craftswomen, artists.
"Mujeres
del Mundo: Retratos del Alma" ["Women of the
World: Portraits of the Soul"], depicts the mental,
physical and emotional reality women cope with, whether
living in villages or cities.
The images
won for Mr. Gonzales the Meridiana award from the
Andaluz Institute of Women, and they have been seen in
an exhibition that toured more than 20 cities and towns
in Spain. With the publication of his book, a wider
audience now has the opportunity to enjoy the work of
this 43-year-old artist with a camera.
Mr.
Gonzales takes us into the homes of these women and to
their workplaces. We witness their lives in rural and
urban areas, and we see some of them at worship.
His
photographic subjects appear undefeated by their
challenges but shine out of the pages as examples of
courage and spiritual insight who have risen above the
pressures of their daily life. Somehow he has captured
the beauty and sensitivity of the feminine spirit.
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A
common approach among modern photographers is to
exploit the image of women. In contrast, Mr.
Gonzalez appears to look at his subjects with
different eyes. The photographer seems to search
to find out what is it that men can learn from
women.
For
example, in the picture showing an Indian woman
with a pot of water on her shoulder the artist
depicts a hard-working woman carrying water for
her family. However, she is not straining under
her burden. Her beauty comes from the dignity with
which she carries out her task. |
Navajo woman on her farm in Arizona. (Photo:
Francisco Gonzalez) |
Mr.
Gonzales travelled the globe and selected for
publication 59 of his photographs depicting women, young
and old, of many ethnic and cultural backgrounds in
countries as diverse as Italy and Samoa, Costa Rica and
Bosnia.
Inspired by
the photographs, young Bolivian writer Jorge Nazra wrote
nine poems to accompany the images. Included, too, are
excerpts from the Baha'i writings that point to the
importance of the equality of men and women as a pathway
towards a peaceful and united world civilization.
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To
carry out his project, Mr. Gonzalez, the
photographic editor of the Spanish daily,
"Cordoba", visited Baha'i-inspired
social and economic development projects all over
the world. He also obtained images at the May 2001
opening of the Terraces of the Shrine of the Bab
at the Baha'i World Centre, in Haifa, Israel.
In an
interview, Mr. Gonzales said he considers his body
of work a contribution to the well being of
humanity. For him, he said, photography is a tool
to represent the teachings of the Baha'i Faith --
in this case the equality of men and women.
He
said the unity and equality of the sexes is not a
goal but rather a pathway towards the attainment
of a united and peaceful world.
Awarded
the Andalucia Award of Journalism in 1995, Mr.
Gonzalez was nominated three years later for the
Romeo Martinez International Award of Photography. |
Photographer Francisco Gonzalez. |
During the seven years he spent collecting
photographs for "Women of the World: Portraits of
the Soul" Mr. Gonzalez initiated another project
called "The Pathway of the Sun", in which he
introduces his viewers to the life of the indigenous
American populations and the ways they contribute to a
global society.
"Mujeres del Mundo," by Francisco Gonzales,
(Barcelona, Arca Editorial, 2003). For information: http://arcaeditorial.com
For more information on the work of Francisco
Gonzalez click
here. Review by Edit Kalman
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Published in Baha'i
World News
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