Brazilian photographer Aracan Okantara made his debut in China

Source: People's Daily - International Channel Original draft

People's Daily Beijing, November 19 (Reporter Fu Yuanyuan, Lu Yang) Cowboys galloping on horses, fishermen struggling to pull nets, old women who gaze at each other sincerely... The contrasting black-and-white photographs make people feel as if they are on the edge of Brazil, and they have an insight into the living conditions of the locals. Unlike most people's first impression of Brazil , the passionate samba and the unbridled football , Ocantara 's lens of Brazil focuses on remote areas far from the hustle and bustle of the city , documenting the life and labor of a group of "other" Brazilians under nature, showing Brazil's diverse landscapes, customs and diverse natural environment.

On November 18, Brazilian photographer Aracantara's photo exhibition "Brazilians" opened at the China Millennium Monument in Beijing. The exhibition is jointly organized by the Embassy of Brazil in China in collaboration with the Beijing International Photography Week 2021 Organizing Committee and the China Millennium Monument Art Museum. Brazilian Ambassador to China Paulo Valle, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Arts, Li Shufeng, Academic Host of Beijing International Photography Week, And Ji Pengcheng, Director of the China Millennium Monument Art Museum, attended the opening ceremony.

Okantara is a pioneer nature photographer in Brazil and one of the most important photographers in contemporary Brazil. The Brazilian's photographic collection includes 90 photographs by Okantara, which focuses on the presentation and glorification of the inhabitants of Brazil's remote areas and their close connection with nature, and is the pinnacle of his 50-year photographic career.

Li Shufeng believes that this photography exhibition is of great cultural value in terms of content and photographic form. The photographer goes deep into the border area to create, with an equal mentality to record the depths of the local people's lives, so that people can more completely, systematically and comprehensively understand Brazil, understand the brazilian diverse, rich and historical culture.

Brazilian Ambassador to China Paulo Valle said in an exclusive interview with People's Daily that he was very pleased to see the works of Aracon Okantara exhibited in China, which not only have artistic value, but also show the state of Brazilians from a humanistic point of view, which is what we hope Chinese audiences can better understand.

"Over the past 20 years, economic and trade cooperation between China and Brazil has yielded extraordinary results, but this is only a small part of the relationship between the two countries. When it comes to Brazil, most Chinese probably think of a few things like football and soybeans. Similarly, Brazilians don't know enough about China. Paul Valle argues that if both sides do not push for further understanding, then they cannot understand the richness of each other's cultures. The peoples of the two countries can benefit greatly by getting to know each other, learning and understanding each other's cultures.

In recent years, China and Pakistan have carried out various friendly and cultural exchange activities. Due to the impact of the NEW CROWN epidemic, cross-border exchanges of people have been greatly reduced. In this context, the two countries have actively explored new ways of communication, and through the combination of online and offline methods, held a series of cultural festivals, film festivals, art exhibitions and other series of activities to show the diverse cultures of the other people. "The people of China and Pakistan have a great interest in each other, and holding cultural exchange activities will help bring the people of the two countries closer together." Paul Valle said that we hope to make the two peoples more connected and have a more diverse and comprehensive understanding of each other.

It is reported that the photo exhibition will last until November 28. The 20 works on display at the Beijing International Photography Week 2021 were carefully selected by Okantara himself, which is also the first time his photographic works have appeared in China.