Through their lens
Photographers rewriting the story of their communities
Thalía Gochez (USA), Derrick Ofosu Boateng (Ghana), and Ashish Shah (India) shatter the perceptions and prejudices of what their streets and cultures should look like by featuring the beauty of their reality. These photographers have taken back power by capturing the essence of their worlds.
Thalía Gochez
Thalía Gochez is at the intersection of community, culture, and building bridges. Not only does she have an eye that makes the ordinary seem significant and stunning, she knows the platform she has built is only stronger if she helps promote others.
Gochez’s photography focuses on stories of identity and sacred spaces. Her photos command attention by featuring bold, strong women that invite you into their intimate spaces. Her images are women with ribbons braided in their hair, neon eyeshadow, gold hoops, and rhinestone-encrusted eyebrows - celebrating their Latin identity on their own terms. Gochez aims to show styles that are against the grain of mainstream American culture and redefine what beauty is and can be. As she shared with office magazine, “I’m not the savior coming in to capture them in this light - the beauty is already there”.
One of Gochez’s exhibitions, Hermanas de Sangre (“Blood Sisters”), featured two sisters in their childhood neighborhood, the Mission in San Francisco. The Mission has been rapidly gentrifying throughout the tech boom and Gochez shot the sisters in their favorite spots, capturing their love for the city and bond, along with a sadness for a world they were losing. As part of that project, she donated 100% of the proceeds to a nonprofit that the sisters selected, Mission Girls, an afterschool program for girls. Gochez believes that the goal of her art is to bridge the connection gap and ensure that her work never feels exploitative for the sake of art.
Gochez is also a mentor at Las Fotos Project in LA, where she brings teens from the program on shoots with Adidas and other national brands. She is paying forward the support that she knows made a difference in her own career and forging the path for more to join the ranks.
Gochez’s passion comes from a place of humility and gratitude. She shares a deep love for community and culture that are bursting in every one of her images. Her work is a window into the depth of the Latinx experience and serves as a living account of the beauty, power, and love that is around us.
Derrick Ofosu Boateng
Derrick Ofosu Boateng is on a mission to change the narrative of what life in Africa looks like through photography. His images are bursts of love letters, celebrating the positivity, strength and beauty of Ghanians.
Boateng’s highly saturated shots with whimsical motifs referencing African culture, are a striking mix of everyday life and surrealism. He shoots and edits all of his images on an iPhone and has since day one. Boateng’s practice started by casually taking pictures using his dad’s iPhone and posting them on social media. Since then, he has amassed a strong social media following and has collaborated with Google and Louis Vuitton.
Earlier this year, Boateng worked with Document Journal to shoot a homage to fellow Ghanian and late Louis Vuitton designer, Virgil Abloh. The images are extraordinary and a testament to Boateng’s commitment to capture pure joy in every shot.
Ashish Shah
Ashish Shah focuses on the raw beauty of India - the people, the landscapes, and the stories. He understands and appreciates the details of what modern India looks and feels like. His photographs tell stories, connecting the past and present. Shah defies expectations of what India should be. His photos are not reminiscent of the supersaturated, bold colors of exoticism or extreme poverty that often define India in Western eyes. His photos are nuanced and evoke a quiet beauty.
Shah grew up in the foothills of the Himalayas in Dehradun which was the site of his shoot for Alexander McQueen’s Pre-Spring/Summer 2021 collection. Shah wanted to show authentic Indian beauty without indulging in Western ideals. The resulting images are stunning - the juxtaposition of lush landscapes with tailored suits and feathered gowns and models who represent real India.
Shah then collaborated with perfumer Ben Gorham and his brand, Byredo, for the launch of Mumbai Noise. Gorham, born to an Indian mother, said the scent was inspired by childhood visits to Gorham’s nani’s home in Chembur, Mumbai. In the campaign Shah shot layered images that celebrate stories of the past and the modernity of India. His favorite photograph is of two models Brijesh and Furquan wearing paper masks on a rooftop in South Mumbai. As he shared with GQ about the image, “The contrast in the architecture is one of my favorite things about the image. I like to call it the beautiful Indian chaos – spaces are often not perfectly symmetrical or of similar tones but it all works out together.”
