A young Cuban man stands tall amid the brightly coloured pillars from several neighbouring Colonial houses in the historic city centre of Havana. Since Cuba used to be a key transshipment point between the new world and the old world, many riches were brought to and through Havana by colonialists. As a result, it was the most heavily fortified city in the Americas and the influence from different styles and cultures can be seen in its colonial architecture, with a diverse range of architectural styles, from Moorish, Spanish and Italian to Greek and Roman.
The young man in this photograph looks like he’s taking up his rightful place in the country’s proud history, positioning himself in between the pillars, adding his own colour and demonstrating that any nation’s real strength is and always will be its youth.
Other artworks by Pascal Mannaerts