Pelotas Oaxaqueñas / Oaxacan Ball Games: Photographs by Leopoldo Peña

January 28 – July 15, 2018

A longtime resident of Los Angeles, Leopoldo Peña makes photographic works that center on themes of immigration and the environment. This series features black-and-white images of traditional ball games played by Oaxacan expatriates throughout Southern and Central California. Peña’s photographs capture discrete moments—arms reaching toward the ball; pauses in action as players gather their strength; families and friends watching the game from the sidelines—and in so doing document how the game creates and reinforces communal ties.

Curated by Matthew H. Robb, Chief Curator, and Patrick A. Polk, Curator of Latin American and Caribbean Popular Arts.

Image Credit: A player dons a studded mitt at a pasajuego (court) in the San Fernando Valley. Courtesy Leopoldo Peña.