We recently connected with Isabel Tirado and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Isabel , thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on is Herencia Viva (Living Heritage in English). Not only because of its subject matter, but because of the profound impact it had on me personally. This project led me to deeply question my identity and how I allow myself to express it—from my roots to the way I inhabit the present.

Herencia Viva was created in Venezuela in 2024 as a way to highlight and honor Afro-Venezuelan culture through a sensitive, respectful, and contemporary lens. It was a process of deep observation, active listening to communities, and engaging in dialogue with everyday life: music, clothing, nature, beliefs, and ancestral knowledge that continue to thrive despite being marginalized.

This work made me reflect on how history is told—and who holds the power to tell it. Through imagery, I wanted to open a window that invites people to see differently: from the essence, not from the stereotype. It was also an exercise in unlearning, in shedding molds and patterns to reconnect with what’s truly authentic.

Herencia Viva is important to me because it reminded me that the intimate is also political, and that sometimes, looking outward is also a way of looking inward. It’s a form of celebration, but also of resistance—and of love for who we are.

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’m Isabel, a visual artist, photographer, and creative director from Venezuela. My work moves between photography, fashion, and personal storytelling, often rooted in identity, memory, and transformation. It’s deeply grounded in a desire to connect with others through honest, human narratives—especially those that exist outside of conventional representation.

I began exploring photography and image-making as a way to understand my own existence and the contradictions of life—through our bodies, our style, and our presence. Over time, this became a more intentional exploration of identity, culture, and emotion.

With 6 years of experience, I now offer creative direction, visual storytelling, and consulting for independent artists, brands, and personal projects. I also lead online workshops that focus on creative identity and self-expression through the image. One of my goals is to guide people to see themselves with curiosity, and to reflect on what they truly want to express—beyond pre-established standards.

What sets my work apart is the way I process what moves me—my story, my questions. I believe every project carries its own uniqueness because we come from many stories. I’m not interested in creating perfect images; I want to create honest ones. I often say that my work lives in the intersection of the poetic, the political, and the human—where vulnerability becomes a strength, and style becomes a form of storytelling.

I’m very proud of how my work has connected me with people around the world who are also searching—for answers, for themselves, or for new ways to see.

If there’s one thing I’d love people to know, it’s that I’m not here to sell a perfect image. I’m here to create space for authenticity, for questions, and for beauty that sparks reflection.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Since I was a child, I’ve had a deep need to understand my surroundings and my own inner process. Observing, questioning, and transforming have always been part of how I navigate the world. Images help us build a visual language—an imaginative space where emotions, ideas, and questions can exist, especially when words fall short.

One of my core intentions is to play with what’s been established: to dismantle dominant aesthetics, break away from visual and emotional standards that confine us, and open up space for new ways of seeing and telling our stories. For me, creating is also a form of liberation.

My creative path is driven by a desire to spark reflection, awaken sensitivity, and invite those who encounter my work to inhabit their identity from a place of uniqueness—not from expectation.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the freedom to stay true to my process—especially when that means allowing myself to make mistakes, to pause, to change direction. When you stay awake to what your art or your path is asking from you, even when it’s uncomfortable, you grow in ways that feel real.

There’s something incredibly fulfilling about creating from honesty, not performance. It’s not always easy, but when the work resonates—when it connects with someone or reveals something you didn’t expect—it feels like a small moment of truth. That, to me, is everything.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isabelshooting/

Image Credits

Living Heritage (2024)

PHOTOGRAPHY AND CREATIVE DIRECTION
Isabel Tirado @isabelshooting

FASHION STYLIST
Armando Surmay @ar_doz

MUA
Carla Possidente @concemua

HAIR
Adrianny Nieves @nanytrenzas18

MODELS
Jennifer Delpino @jenniferdelpino_
Armando Bello @democraciatercermundista
Yuskeilin Gamez @yuskeilingamez
Romano Palacios @mo7opapi

TEXT
Ofelia Torres @ofeliatorres_

FASHION DESIGNERS
@byefrainmogollon @calzatta @bypatriziabellino @bykaterinleon

JEWELRY
@adrianorussell
@thedibstudioj

–

Cinderella (2023)

PHOTOGRAPHY AND CREATIVE DIRECTION
Isabel Tirado @isabelshooting

FASHION STYLIST
Armando Surmay @ar_doz

MUA
Carla Possidente @concmua

Hair
Adrianny Nieves @nanytrenzas18

Model
Namibia Polanco @fungiprimera

Dress Designer
Efraín Mogollon @byefrainmogollon

Jewelry
Viviane Guenoun @vivianeguenoun

–

Personal (2023)
Portrait and self-portrait projects