São Paulo – “In Brazil’s North, the earth is red, the air is warm, and the faces carry the memory of winds and rains. There, every gaze tells a story: of working hands, of laughter that endures, of silences that hold hope.” This is a passage from the text in which Lebanese photographer Jacques Menassa presents his photo exhibition LES GENS DU NORD (“The People of the North”), opening on January 5 at the Manaus City Museum in Amazonas, a Brazilian state where Menassa lived for several years.
“These portraits are a tribute to the quiet dignity of those who go unnoticed. In a shy smile, a deep wrinkle, or the shadow that falls across a face, lives the poetry of an entire people,” Menassa continues. He writes: “To look at these images is to hear the river’s breath, the song of a bird in the morning, the whisper of the dirt roads. It is to remember that beauty is simple—and often reveals itself in a true gaze.”
The exhibition will feature 36 black-and-white photos, all taken by Menassa, who was invited by the Manaus City Hall to present the show. After spending part of his life in Manaus and returning to his homeland, Lebanon, Menassa regularly visits the Amazonian capital. His exhibition highlights local faces from Amazonas, with indigenous features and everyday life, blending traditions and routine.
“With unique brilliance, Mensassa uses his mastery of light and shadow to reveal the deepest essence of our land, turning the silence of the images into visual poetry,” the city government says in presenting the exhibition to the public. “Through his lenses, the photographer shapes the soul of Manaus and the Amazon into striking black-and-white compositions. He captures emotion in every detail, portraying the textures of the forest and the pulse of the city,” the statement adds.
The exhibition is curated by Jacques Menassa and Leonardo Novellino, the latter also serving as curator of the Manaus City Museum. The photos will be on display for the general public from January 5 to March 15, 2026, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Quick facts:
LES GENS DU NORD
Photography exhibition by Jacques Menassa
Venue: Manaus City Museum (Paço da Liberdade), R. Gabriel Salgado – Centro, Manaus, Brazil
Opening: January 5, 2026 (Monday) at 7:00 p.m.
Exhibition dates: January 5 to March 15, 2026, Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
