cadelrosario.com | carina@cadelrosario.com
Artist Statement
I use photography to explore the desire for community, for being part of something larger than oneself, and also the pull of solitude, for shrugging off ties that tangle and constrain. I present the tension between these two very human impulses and the benefits and pitfalls of each.
I take inspiration from documentary and street photographers such as Bruce Davidson, Raghubir Singh, Graciela Iturbide and Stephen Shore. I present images that evoke different moods and often contain layers of stories. Whether I am working on specific projects about cultural communities and social issues or wandering streets around the world, I capture people’s lives unfolding or reflect on the evidence they leave behind. Through this act of looking at others and their artifacts, I am able to grapple with my own conflicting desires, to present the longing for balance.
Biography
Born in the Philippines, Carina A. del Rosario immigrated to the United States as a young girl. She earned her B.A. in Communication from Santa Clara University in 1991. She has studied photography Magnum Photographer Alex Webb, Rebecca Norris Webb, Raul Touzon and Eddie Soloway. In addition to her own creative and documentary projects, she is a teaching artist and helps youth use visual arts and digital media to explore their communities, advocate for what matters for them, and express their own experiences. She collaborates with non-profit organizations and educational institutions to help illustrate issues such as poverty, education, health and civil rights. She is the co-founder of International District Engaged in Arts (IDEA) Odyssey Gallery, a collective that promotes cultural diversity, community development and economic prosperity in the International District/Chinatown neighborhood through visual arts.
