Camila Falquez Brings Emancipation and Visibility to the Foreground of Photography

Every time a subject steps in front of photographer Camila Falquez's camera, their blinding light transforms the room and fills it with tremendous power. Her shootings are an artistic voyage in which her subjects are always guided by the calm sounds of rumba, salsa, and flamenco music that surrounded her. It is via this slew of occurrences that Camila Falquez and her subjects scale mountains in order to effect change.

The New York-based photographer uses fashion and portrait photography traditions to recognize a broad range of social and gender diversity. Opening this week at Hannah Traore gallery, Gods that Walk Among Us is the photographer's first solo exhibition consisting of 28 photographs taken over the last four years in Cuba, New York, Puerto Rico, and Spain.

Harnessing surrealism notions through the use of a painterly color palette, the photos in the exhibition are a seamless blend of personal and commissioned work, depicting a diverse spectrum of activists, friends, nurses, and artists. Falquez has worked hard over the years to establish long-term connections with these persons and gain their permission to shoot them.

Falquez, who was born in Mexico and raised in Spain, pushed her artwork to explore beyond the bounds of commonly held beliefs in society. Her bright photos on view challenge traditional perceptions of gender, power, and beauty. She forges an uplifting vision that brings in stories of community, and humanity.  

The artist says "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 repeatedly that our world is transformed and becomes another. These photographs manifest the impossible."