Civil war scars

Painful healing: relatives of the Valdedios dead. The lady is the middle is Esther Montoto who had travelled from Cuba

Manfield sought to capture the emotions and experiences of this small community as the remains of friends and relatives were disinterred. The result is a series of solemn and reflective pencil drawings that convey hope and reconciliation for a people who endured decades of fear and silence under the oppressive regime led by the dictator, General Francisco Franco.

Antonio Piedrafita, aged 68, watches the exhumation of his father

Introducing an exhibition of the drawings, at Bradford University’s Gallery II, Manfield said: “I’ve always loved Spain, and I’ve been a traveller to Spain for many years. I’d read books by George Orwell and Laurie Lee and was quite fascinated by the whole movement of intellectuals and the workers during the 1930s. There was a great deal of fear, even during this exhumation. General Franco’s regime was incredibly oppressive and, even though he died in 1975, that fear still exists. It’s something you can’t get rid of really until something like this begins to happen.

“It’s almost 70 years since the end of the Civil War, and there are people like Antonio Piedrafita – we found his father in the grave – who had been looking for his father for 66 years; it’s very difficult having such a weight on your back for so many decades. And there is still division between families – one family on the National side and one on the Republican side.”

‘Memoria Historica’ is on show at the University of Bradford’s Gallery II, Chesham Building, until 3 March 2006. Weekdays 11am - 5pm (Thursdays until 6pm). Admission is free.