Thalia Gochez — In Full Color

Photographer Thalia Gochez sees the sun-soaked beauty around her. Growing up in Los Angeles in a mixture of Salvadorean and Mexican heritages, she existed in the peripheral space between traditional Latina identities. Yet, this self-taught photographer says that she was always drawn to the power and beauty of her cultures, even when they were not well understood by others.

The photography of Thalia Gochez is focused nearly exclusively on female and POC subjects, which it portrays in hero-like grandeur. Often times, the beautiful women stand radiant, beautifully dressed and made-up in seemingly normal urban settings. Gochez says that often times, she chooses to shoot her subjects in locations that they are familiar with, and which hold special significance for them — such as their family shop, or a neighborhood establishment they’ve been going to for the majority of their lives. This intentional selection of context puts her subjects at ease, and no doubt, her presence behind the camera only serves to reaffirm them and draw out their most unhindered, powerful gazes. These are women, seen in a true reflection of how we see ourselves. Her subjects are fierce, yet welcoming, protective but vulnerable, edgy but sweet and familiar. The dualities and complexity of women of color shine like multicolored beams of light through the prism of her camera lens.