American photojournalist David Maung sought to "shed some better light" on Tijuana's population of homeless deportees in a new exhibit of his work at the Centro Cultural Tijuana.
The exhibit focuses on intimate scenes of men and women who have been cast out of the U.S. and end up in shelters along the border or on the streets of Tijuana and Mexicali.
"There's not a whole lot of sympathy for this group of people," Maung said.
"A lot of the deportees have difficulty integrating back into society here. Either they've had some problems in the U.S. or they've been living so long in the U.S. that they don't really know Mexico that well or they don't have any family support here," Maung said.
Maung has lived in Tijuana for 18 years and has covered the U.S.-Mexico border as a photojournalist for even longer. For his most recent exhibit, Maung chose photos that are softly lit — many with natural light or candles — giving them a solemn tone.
"I was looking for something a little different than I think what most of my photojournalism work would be," Maung said. "A lot of the photos here are very nuanced and subtle and quiet. They don't have a lot of the ugly side."
Maung's exhibit, titled Luz Tenue or "Faint Light," will be on display through May.
