Hannah Traore Gallery has just opened Gods That Walk Among Us, the first solo exhibition of New York-based photographer Camila Falquez.
Born in Mexico and raised in Spain, Colombian photographer Camila Falquez creates photographs that harness the traditions of fashion and portrait photography to honour a contemporary spectrum of social and gender diversity. Channelling the conventions of surrealism and a painterly colour palette, she creates an empowering vision that ushers in the narratives of community, humanity, liberation and visibility.
Falquez does nothing quietly. In Gods That Walk Among Us, rather than merely venture outside of preconceived notions of gender, power and beauty, her vibrant portraits forcibly push back against them.
In her own words:
“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.”
Gods that Walk Among Us includes 28 photographs shot in the last four years between Cuba, New York, Puerto Rico and Spain. The works are a combination of personal and commissioned work, depicting a range of activists, friends, muses and performers with whom Falquez has developed long-standing relationships.
Each time Falquez’s subjects step in front of her 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, Falquez’s shoots are an artistic journey embarked on with her subjects. Together, they climb mountains in order to instil change.
Camila Falquez: Gods That Walk Among Us
Hannah Traore Gallery 150 Orchard Street | New York -July 9th , 2022
About the artist
Camila Falquez is a New York-based photographer of Colombian heritage. She was born in Mexico City and grew up in Spain. Falquez’s photographs harness the traditions of fashion and portrait photography to the honouring of the contemporary spectrum of social and gender diversity. Channelling the conventions of surrealism and a strong colour palette, Falquez elevates and empowers her subjects. Her images have been published in The New York Times, TIME Magazine, El País, WSJ, and Vogue, among others. She has collaborated with brands such as Clinique, Hermes and Nike. @camilafalquez
