Chuva Sobre São Paulo (Rain over São Paulo)

Auxiliadora da Silva captures the vibrant life of Brazil’s largest city just as the skies have opened up over a neighborhood, possibly her own. A keen observer with a great sense of narrative, she included individuals with a range of skin tones in a variety of dress indicative of the country’s diverse classes and ethnic heritage. Her wit is evident in passages such as the taxi speeding away from a customer trying to hail it. At the same time, gestures such as a woman handing an umbrella to another out a window underscore a more positive side of humanity.