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Childhood spent counting the days between peeling walls
2024
In a poignant black and white photograph, the lens portrays the serene focus of a child engrossed in a game of dominoes, tiny hands carefully placing tiles on a timeworn table. Surrounding him, the crumbling walls of an ancient alley bear silent witness to a childhood that unfurls slowly, evoking both a profound sense of resilience and an intense poetic melancholy. The film's grain amplifies the rawness and authenticity of this moment, suspended in time.
Reading the Work
This piece transcends mere documentation, elevating's play into a metaphor for life itself—a tally of days punctuated by domino tiles and the fissures in the walls. Riba, with his unique sensibility, captures the resilience and dignity of the human spirit in the face of time's relentless erosion, firmly situating himself within the venerable tradition of humanist photography. The image serves as a potent testament to the persistence of the spirit and the capacity to unearth beauty and purpose even amidst the most humble circumstances—a recurring and foundational theme throughout his artistic exploration.
