We were lucky to catch up with Damaris Chamorro recently and have shared our conversation below.

Damaris, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Back in 2024, I had the opportunity to work with Paseo Park, located in Queens, New York on different occasions using two mediums that I love: Painting and Photography. Walking along the linear park has allowed me to document how quickly the seasons change. Inspired by this and my fascination with cyanotypes, I created a design for a granite block mural painting, illustrating how beautiful the shift between seasons can be. This project titled, Painting Paseo: 26 blocks of joy was a meaningful project for me because I was surrounded by other artists who were painting their assigned block and sharing their own perspective on what Paseo Park meant to them.
Aside from this, I was also part of Paseo Park’s Photography Residency. During the time of the residency, I set out to create a collection of photos and stories documenting the collaborative labor that it takes to take care of the neighborhood. This project meant a lot to me because it encouraged me to further engage with my community.

Damaris, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am an Ecuadorian Illustrator and Photographer based in New York. I discovered my passion for storytelling when I understood how meaningful it could be. When I was first learning English, book illustrations were the first thing that drew me in. It felt like I had discovered a language of its own, one that could be understood at a universal level without the need for words. At that moment I knew that I wanted to pursue a career as an illustrator. I also grew up loving to solve puzzles and I found that understanding how to problem solve is essential to the illustration process all throughout. Through the process of starting with a thumbnail, developing sketches, figuring out what composition and color palette fits an illustration the best, it’s beautiful to see how the puzzle pieces start fitting in together.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Documenting the subject of everyday life and working people has propelled me to explore what it means to capture someone’s dignity, especially when their work can go unnoticed. Be it through means of painting or photography, my mission stays the same. I aspire to bring attention to neglected minorities in order to bring awareness to their societal influence. I am driven to capture moments that show community through all different kinds of work. Though our journey is individual, it’s important to acknowledge that we all come together in the end.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

When I reflect back to the first year where I started drawing and painting and I look at where I am right now, I can say that the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the growth over time. Having the opportunity to be surrounded by a community of creatives and mentors has taught me that the evolution as an artist is one of the highest rewards in itself because there is always something to be learned. New experiences will lead to gain understanding of different perspectives and as a result influence new work to be created.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.damarischamorro.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/createtheframe/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damaris-chamorro-89674516b/

Image Credits

Image credit for Personal Photo: Shin Ono