Camila Falquez ‘Gods That Walk Among Us’, New York’s queer community celebrates the photographer’s first solo exhibition at Hannah Traore Gallery
Hannah Traore Gallery is presenting ‘Gods That Walk Among Us’, the first solo exhibition by Camila Falquez. At the opening on 2 June, the who’s who of New York’s queer community attended abundantly.
Born in Mexico, raised in Spain and living in New York, the Colombian photographer Camila Falquez harnesses the methods of classic fashion and portrait photography to present a broad spectrum of social and gender diversity. Employing the elements of surrealism and an artistic color palette, she spins narratives of community, humanity liberation and visibility. In ‘Gods That Walk Among Us’, her vivid portraits not only dare to transcend preconceived notions of gender, power and beauty, they push back against them with full force.
The photographer tells us : “What if beauty and power can exist on pedestals that we have never seen before? Can we present a vision of freedom – that regardless if we only know it as a vision – we can now live by and embody? It’s through drag, through dance, through marching in the streets and through community organizing that we enter The Vortex – as activist Qween Jean calls it – and we can talk about all that is sacred, profound and necessary. As an old rumba tells us, ‘Si vamos a hablar, hablemos profundo’ – ‘if we are going to talk, let’s talk profoundly.’ The constellation of divine beings represented in this work summon undeniable realities and future possibilities that can no longer be ignored, oppressed or erased. This is an opportunity to question where power really lies and to celebrate the grace and beauty that we carry. These are the Gods That Walk Among Us.”
The series is comprised of 28 photographs taken over the course of the past four years in Cuba, New York, Puerto Rico and Spain. The works – a combination of personal and commissioned projects – show activists, friends, muses and performers with whom Falquez has in part built long-standing relationships.
“Each time my subjects step in front of my camera, a transformation occurs. Their luminosity is blinding, and the space fills with their profound power. Guided by the sounds of salsa, rumba and flamenco, my shoots are an artistic journey embarked on with my subjects. Together, they climb mountains in order to instill change… It is time for us to create the statues of our future that will fill the halls of the museums and the city squares. It is through the creation of these scenarios over and over again that our world is transformed and becomes another. These photographs manifest the impossible,” says Camila Falquez.
For the first motif presented here, the photographer writes on Instagram : “Natalia Mendez and her family are the example of care and community we need right now. @lamoradanyc cooked over 1000 free daily meals during the pandemic and are still cooking for hundreds of families in the Bronx every day while fighting tirelessly for the rights of undocumented immigrants.”
Camila’s work appears in The New York Times, TIME Magazine, El País, WSJ and Vogue, and among her clients are Clinique, Hermes and Nike.
Hannah Traore Gallery (150 Orchard Street, New York) is a space committed to advocating for and celebrating artists who have been historically marginalized from the mainstream narrative. Whether underrepresented, overlooked, or exploited, HTG is building a path forward to share its extraordinary visions with the world.
hannahtraoregallery.com & camilafalquez.com
-
Like
- Comment
ADVERTISING, PEOPLE, PORTRAIT, TRANSPORTATION, HAIR, MAKEUP, STILLS …. THE ACCOUNTS WITH
A BLUE STAR ARE APPROVED BY GOSEE
