In this publication, the artist invites us to reflect on the role of the banal in our everyday lives. By observing the world around us, what other narratives and interpretations might arise? Like a flâneur, Penalva collects objects from the street and the house, decontextualising and combining them to generate new arrangements and sociocultural readings. Materials such as straw, raffia, and wooden beads reveal his interest in capturing the cultural essence of objects, while also challenging the boundaries between the classical and the popular, the public and the private.

With over 200 images from exhibitions and works created over the past ten years, the book presents the artist’s work and fosters a dialogue on consumption and globalisation by transforming objects and unveiling their stories. “Mano Penalva” invites the reader to reconsider the role of objects in daily life, accompanying the artist on a journey that explores the transformative potential of the banal and rediscovers the extraordinary in the layers of urban life.