Flor Garduño

Flor Garduño (b. 1957) is renowned as one of the most prominent representatives of Latin American photography, continuing the lineage of poet-photographers who shaped the medium in the 20th century. Born in Mexico City, Garduño’s visual language is steeped in symbolism, ritual, and the intimate connection between humanity and nature. Her photographs convey a profound sensitivity to the mystical qualities of everyday life, often portraying familiar people and objects with a poetic intensity and reverence.

Early in her career, Garduño studied visual arts at the Antigua Academia de San Carlos and worked as a darkroom assistant to Manuel Álvarez Bravo, one of Mexico’s most revered photographers. She also studied under Hungarian photographer Kati Horna, whose influence is reflected in Garduño’s lyrical and personal approach. These formative experiences shaped both her aesthetic sensibility and technical mastery.

Garduño’s imagery is rooted in the landscapes, folklore, and people of Mexico and other parts of Latin America. Her photographs are often black and white, suffused with natural light that casts an otherworldly glow on her subjects. Whether depicting nudes, still lifes, or portraits of indigenous communities, her compositions possess a quiet power and visual elegance. As noted by writer Verónica Volkow in the introduction to Inner Light, “Each body is like a star. It radiates a beauty that emerges from an overflowing richness.”

Her work has been exhibited internationally and is included in the permanent collections of institutions such as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, and the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum. Garduño’s practice continues to explore the intersection of the corporeal and the spiritual, offering deeply personal reflections on identity, femininity, and cultural heritage through a refined and timeless visual style.