About

Hi, I am Brenda

My interest in photography began more than 20 years ago with a first visit to Europe and South America. I was fascinated by the idea of documenting everyday life outside of what I was used to in my country Puerto Rico.

Over the years, I found myself gravitating even more toward street, portrait and documentary photography while living in multiple cities in the United States and traveling internationally.

An emphasis on the human, cultural and spiritual was amplified around 2018, a period characterized by a personal, existential search that drew me to India, Mexico, France and Quebec.

Artistic Statement

I AM DRIVEN BY HUMAN, CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL SUBJECTS.

Photography allows me to re-focus my attention and feel more connected with my surroundings. The decision to carry the camera activates the switch of being in the present moment. Painful thoughts and feelings quiet down, at least for a while. There is a sense of urgency to capture what in seconds will belong to the past.

THE PROCESS OF CURATING AND PRINTING HAS BEEN TRANSFORMATIONAL.

Many emotions sleep in the subconscious and begin to wake up during the curatorial and printing process. My first curatorial experience happened with the guidance of professional photographers I met in Mexico. I discovered that the images told very personal stories as soon as they began grouping into common themes.

I started handling the printing process in 2021. Seeing the images on paper became very transformative, emotionally. It revealed to me the connection between my internal world as a person with what I had chosen to photograph. Printing also opened up a world of possibilities and new questions. With a first print order from a friend, I realized that a printed image is appreciated differently. I questioned the purpose of continuing to accumulate thousands of photos in digital form only.

IT IS ABOUT A LIFE CYCLE.

In printing, the photograph becomes a handcrafted piece because it is born into something tangible and more permanent. The image itself transforms according to the cropping, composition, selection of paper, and framing choices. Once that image is framed, I see it in its "altar" and it represents the next stage in a life cycle.

Exhibitions

2025 Group Exhibition, Collective Narratives: Art, Influences & Inspirations from Around the City. Zhou B Art Center, Chicago, IL. Curated by Takako Konishi of Bridgeport Artist Community.

2025 Group Exhibition, Puerto Rican Women in the Arts. El Schomburg | Espacio de Arte Contemporáneo, Chicago, IL. Curated by Alexis Figueroa, Trailer Park Proyects.

2024 Solo Exhibition, Showcase Artist of the Month. Bottles Up, Chicago, IL.

2024 Group Exhibition, A White Noise: Reordering Chaos. El Schomburg | Espacio de Arte Contemporáneo, Chicago, IL. Curated by Brenda Torres-Figueroa.

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