The Joana Projet – CHILDREN at a public school in Lisbon, Portugal
April 2011, I was offered an unforgettable and beautiful photography experience. A very good friend, Joana, who was one of the directors of a public school in Lisbon managed to obtain carte blanche for me to go and photograph the children at the school. The school was somewhat special in the sense that part of their mission was to integrate Gypsy children into Portuguese society.
I spent three days roaming around the school making portraits in the halls and sometimes in the classrooms. I was welcomed without hesitation by the children and the teachers and at the end of the first day children would call me by my first name and we became pals, “Raúl, Raúl take my picture!” It was so wonderful!
When I printed the photos and showed my work, they proposed a photo show in one of the halls in the school. Parents, friends, teachers and staff from other schools in the group were invited to the opening vernissage and there were close to 75 photos exhibited.
These are a sample of comments that were expressed by parents and visitors.
– A arte e a cumplicidade aliaram-se! de forma brilhante, a lente mágica captou sorrisos e fez cintillar os olhares de todos…parabéns!
C.M. 07/04/2011
– Art and complicity have come together! Brilliantly, the magic lens captured smiles and made everyone’s eyes sparkle…congratulations!
C.M. 04/07/2011
– O olhar da alma revela-se no sorriso das crianças. Obrigado por o revelar.
V.S. 07-04-2011
– The gaze of the soul is revealed in the smiles of children. Thank you for revealing it.
V.S. 07-04-2011
– Obrigado Raúl! Pela Beleza no olhar das nossas crianças.
J. 07/04/2011
– Thank you Raúl! For the beauty in the eyes of our children.
J. 04/07/2011
– Por uma capacidde sublime de captar com uma simples lente o muito que o olhar exprime, que a alma exalta e que o coraçao sente.
Um abraço fraterno,
J. 07/04/2011
-For a sublime ability to capture with a simple lens all that the gaze expresses, that the soul exalts and that the heart feels.
A fraternal embrace,
J. 07/04/2011
– Emprestar um pouco de luz ao rostro de uma qualquer criança é revelar o dom escondido de cada uma delas. Parabéms Raúl! Um magnífico trabalho de amor.
I.
– To shed a little light on the face of any child is to reveal the hidden gift of each one of them.Congratulations Raúl! A magnificent work of love.
I.
– O homen sonha é a obra nasce! Obrigado por mostrar ao mondo a beleza das nossas crianças.
I.M.
– Man dreams and the work is born! Thank you for showing the world the beauty of our children. I.M.
