A Través de Mis Ojos came from my admiration for the older generation of women who have shaped my life. Growing up in church, I had the privilege of seeing these women every Sunday and experiencing their humor and kindness that I found so admirable. I have always had an immense amount of respect for my elders, and dreamed of being even half the woman they are.
Through this project, I knew I wanted to highlight the beauty I saw in these women. At the start, some women came to me and were worried about being photographed because of their appearance. However, that is exactly what I wanted. I wanted to focus on who these women were as a whole. All these women saw in themselves were “imperfections,” yet everything they wanted to hide, like their aging skin and smile lines, were what made them perfect in my eyes. Their wisdom and passion have molded me into the young woman that I am, and even as a shy young girl, they always treated me with warmth and care. Si algún día leen esto, quiero que sepan cuánto las amo y adoro.
Gabriela Cantú
Gabriela Cantú is a Mexican-American photographer and filmmaker from the suburbs of Chicago. Her admiration for storytelling began at a very young age and only grew since then. Photography has always been a way for her to be vulnerable in front of an audience, and with the desire to share her point of view and help others share theirs, she found no better way to achieve this wish than with her camera. The core of Gabriela’s work is to create worlds for her viewers to experience through her detailed compositions, use of color, and cultural references.
Follow her on Instagram @gabrielacphotos
