For Rogelio Manzo, the practice of portraiture is more than a way to capture a likeness. His darkly compelling images of the human figure reflect a blend of cultural influences -as well as an underlying concern with the fragility of life-. In his work Manzo seeks to reveal the character of his subjects as they are “forced” to be themselves. He goes beneath the body’s protective layer of skin, which registers all personal events that scar the human being, to reveal their fragility and inevitable mortality.