Claudia Ruiz Gustafson
Llena eres de gracia (Full of Grace), Archival pigment print
As a child, I loved to create stories with my dolls and also write poems. But it was not until I was in college that I encountered photography for the first time.
Ever since I took my first B&W photo class in my college years, photography has been part of my life in different ways; first as a documentary photographer, then as a portrait and wedding photographer and now as a fine art photographer. I was instantly drawn to that medium since the moment I saw my first print appear in the darkroom.
I am both. I have a degree in Communication from Universidad de Lima where I took formal photography classes. I have also taken many art and photography workshops and classes both in Peru and the U.S. I have a strong appreciation for all art forms and I am an avid consumer of art. All this feeds me emotionally and artistically.
I was looking to connect with a strong art organization in the area and when I learned about CAA and all the amazing programs and support they provide to their members, I decided to join. It has been the best decision for my professional career so far.
Lazos de sangre (Blood Ties), Archival pigment print
I belong to a group of women photographers who meet monthly to support, critique and help each other advance our careers. I also try to be involved by participating in group shows, art openings and portfolio reviews in the area.
I believe art is our modern religion. Personally art is what I create to reflect on my human condition, to explore my inner life and what I revisit in times of hardship. I feel very fortunate to be able to be a full time artist.
It starts with a strong idea that starts haunting me. I then sketch images, get props that act as symbolic representations for them; everything in my frame has a layer of meaning. I have also have started to incorporate my own poetry to go along my images and now I feel like I have finally come full circle and feel more mature as an artist.
My work always has an autobiographical element; my own inner life is the seed for my images. I also feel that the themes are recurring. I feel I am always going through the hero’s journey over and over again. And even though my work is very personal, I hope they speak to our universal humanity, our collective unconscious.
Mi abuelo y yo (My Grandfather and I), Archival pigment print
Every series I have created has a special place for me. They are all part of a puzzle that will be done when I create my last piece.
My goal for this year is to continue working on several ongoing series, especially my very personal one Lo que traje y lo que dejé (What I brought and what I left). This project is about creating a visual legacy of my family, my ancestors and metaphorically connect them to my present life as an immigrant in this country. This is a story about the Latin American middle class, a story mostly untold and unknown here in the US.
I love the photography of Joyce Tenneson, Jennifer Thoreson and Manuel Gonzalez Palma, the music of Philip Glass and Silvio Rodriguez. The books of Carlos Ruiz Zafon and Isabel Allende, the films of Alfonso Cuaron, Krzysztof Kieslowski and David Lynch. The dance of Maureen Fleming and so many others.
My work is currently showing in a couple of galleries in Cambridge, MA. This coming spring, I will have some images going to an exhibit in Barcelona, Spain. And next year, 2020, I will be having an important show at the newly opened Danforth Art Museum in my hometown of Framingham, MA.
SEE MORE CLAUDIA!
Website: https://www.claudiafineart.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claudiaruizgustafson/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/claudiaruizgustafson