Photography: Rafael Saldanha / Facebook
The photographic exhibition “Raízes” (“Roots”), by Brazilian photographer Rafael Saldanha, forges a deep emotional and cultural bond between Portugal and Brazil by honoring artisanal fishermen from two places that share a common history: the Portuguese village of Ericeira and the Brazilian city of Penha, in Santa Catarina.
The exhibition, on display at the Art Gallery of the Municipal Palace in Navegantes, Brazil, until May 15, invites viewers to reflect on the shared roots that connect both sides of the Atlantic (2023 marked the 200th anniversary of the Nova Ericeira colony) through the sea, fishing, and tradition.
a bridge between continents, a celebration of Luso-Brazilian heritage, and a declaration of what endures when everything changes
Promoted by the Cultural Foundation of Navegantes, the exhibition features photographs taken over more than a decade, capturing with sensitivity the daily lives of fishing communities that preserve an ancestral way of life.
In Ericeira, a coastal village shaped by centuries of intimate connection with the ocean, and in Penha, a land of fishermen and maritime tradition, Rafael Saldanha found similar stories — of resilience, labor, and belonging.
Each image in the exhibition reveals the deep connection these communities have with the ocean: nets cast with skill, traditional boats prepared for the daily work, and faces marked by sun and time, silently telling stories of entire generations.
These visual fragments, together, form a poetic and documentary testimony of life by the sea — a legacy that unites Brazil and Portugal beyond language, in the shared maritime culture that still resists the transformations brought by progress and industrialization.
the fishermen faces the unpredictability of nature — the wind, the waves, the rain, the cold
More than an aesthetic tribute, the exhibition turns artisanal fishing into a symbol of identity and continuity between two peoples. The choice of Ericeira and Penha is no coincidence: both share not only an Atlantic geography but also the spirit of communities that live from what the sea provides — and that, despite physical distance, comes together through gestures, tradition, and the struggle to preserve their way of life.
Rafael Saldanha, known for his work documenting endangered cultural practices, brings to “Raízes” a vision filled with respect and lyricism.
His art goes beyond simple documentation: it’s a visual construction of memory, a tribute to the human value of artisanal fishing, and a silent plea not to let disappear what still connects us — as nations, as cultures, and as people of the sea.
“Raízes” is a bridge between continents, a celebration of Luso-Brazilian heritage, and a declaration of what endures when everything around us changes: the strength of tradition and the spirit of those who live in communion with the ocean.
According to the photographer, “Over all these years living alongside artisanal fishermen, I realized from the very first trips I made with them just how arduous the daily struggle to make a living truly is. The fisherman faces the unpredictability of nature — the wind, the waves, the rain, the cold — and all of this directly affects his work routine. And despite all the effort, there are days when the sea yields nothing, and he returns home with an empty basket.”
Read here the AZUL article about the book “Raízes” by Rafael Saldanha.
Esta publicação também está disponível em | This article is also available in: Portuguese (Portugal)
