Recuperar y reconstruir la identidad como ejercicio de resistencia, 2021, mixed media collage on Fabriano watercolor paper, 30 x 30 cm each.
The series is based on the work of photographers Harry Jacobs, Ernest Dyche (Great Britain), Rachidi Bissiriou (Benin) and James Van Der Zee (USA) among others. These collages examine the almost performative aspect of studio photography in which black people often embody an image that is close to how they see themselves and how they want to be seen. However, these collages seem closer to reality than the stereotypical representations that we are culturally confronted with on a daily basis.
In response to normalized images and prevailing stereotypes of the black body, this series seeks to go against limiting systems of representation. By showing portraits of women exercising leisure activities staring at the observer, new visual spaces are created in which self-representation is amplified in addition to documenting personal achievements and significant moments in their lives.
