We were lucky to catch up with Elizabeth Casasola recently and have shared our conversation below.
Elizabeth , appreciate you joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
I learned at university, I think the class was called image and color in the first semester, in the second semester the photography workshop began, but we had already done some exercises like the pinhole camera. In fact the process was accelerated a bit since I was an intern in the photography area and the teachers taught me before the others. Although I really don’t think anything happens quickly, I only learned a few things, but seeing is a constant practice, which takes time and calm. I have always thought that to see, to take photographs you have to do many things, like go to the museum and learn from others, read many stories and learn from them, even watch television, cartoons.
Perhaps at university the obstacle was that I lived far from the university, however I clearly remember that on Fridays the class started after noon and I arrived at seven in the morning although I had to leave home at five in the morning to get there and find the darkroom free to work. When the others started to arrive and the space became saturated, I would finish and have a coffee or even go to the swings at a nearby park. Playing has always been important.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I was doing an internship at the Mexican Institute of Cinematography, we went to see many movies at the premieres. I clearly remember the day when the colors on the screen made me cry, I knew that I really wanted to work with images, but I also liked the solitary space of photography, without so much work equipment, I wanted the freedom that I had always had at university.
Right now I am a PhD student in Visual Arts at the Postgraduate Program in Arts and Design at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Tutor at Página en Blando. I did a PhD research stay at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. PhotoEspaña Master in Photography. Artistic Theories and Projects. Master in Visual Arts at the Postgraduate Program in Arts and Design at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. I directed the Short Film Showcase and Competition of the Central Zone, the Regional Fund for Culture and the Arts of the Central Zone and the Ministry of Culture of the Estado de Mexico. I took the Photographic Production Seminar at the Center for the Image. My visual work has been exhibited in Mexico, the United States, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Japan, and Australia. Also in different virtual museums such as Mia Anywhere and NFT by PhotoEspaña.
I have these awards
Senior Talent Latin America representing Mexico at the 9th FIF Santa Marta International Photography Festival, Colombia 2024.
Shortlisted Creative Category Open Competition at the Sony World Photography Awards 2024. Once upon a time I dreamed of a life.
Best Women’s Project Latam 2023 at Enfoque – Conecta. Bogotá International Festival, Latin American Photography Foundation.
Wins Art + Design For a sustainable city. FAD UNAM
Finalist in the alternative techniques category, professional at the XII International Image Festival.
Jury mention at LensCulture Art Photography 23.
Honorable mention in the Conflict and Discord exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Querétaro during the 2022 Image Meeting of the Autonomous University of Querétaro.
First place in Photography, student category of the XII International Image Festival.
Participates in PhotoEspaña Discoveries 2019 where she wins the scholarship for the Master in Photography. Theories and Artistic Projects.
She was nominated in Photography Grant London. New Talent in Photography, 2018 edition.
Honorable gold mention at the Tokyo International Photo Awards 2017.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
At university I learned technique, but when I started my master’s degree I forgot everything and even started to find beauty in the mistakes of the image. Now I work with discarded images or old images to rewrite stories.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
that everything really comes from within, from my desires, from my longings, even from my shortcomings and sadness.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://elicasasola.wixsite.com/portafolio/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eliiiicasasola/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabethcasasolagomez
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-casasola-gómez-a476b01b/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@elicasasola
Image Credits
no other info in the box below