ERIKA MORILLO

Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Erika Morillo is a freelance artist and educator based in New York City. She studied clinical psychology and sociology, which influenced her to photograph as a way to understand her family dynamics and the social environment she inhabits. Her work focuses on the issues of family, the finding of identity, and exploring the photobook as art object. Her photographs have been published and exhibited nationally and internationally and her photobooks are in the collections at the Whitney Museum of American Art Library and The International Center of Photography Library. She is currently pursuing an MFA at Image Text Ithaca.

 

Statement

The main driving force behind my work is investigating my genealogy and how family history intersects with self-identity. I explore these issues through documentary and vernacular photography, writing and the photobook as art object. At the core of my practice currently lies a deep interest in utilizing found photographs and archival imagery as a tool for reimagining family narratives and the aspects of the female experience that have been affected by the attitudes of a patriarchal society. I believe examining our family history and the way intimate relationships shape our identity is important. By exploring the deeply personal, I aim to shed light on the structures that continue to shape me.

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Exhibits 

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 Solo

2019 "Umbral", Blue Sky Gallery (Portland, Oregon)

2018 "Umbral", Casa Quien (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)

2017 "All of Them", Storefront Project Gallery (New York City, USA)

2015 "Amor Quiltro", Café Quiltro (Santiago, Chile)

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Group

2021 "Dos Mundos: (Re)Constructing Narratives", Cathy and Jesse Marion Art Gallery (Fredonia, NY)

2020 "Dos Mundos: (Re)Constructing Narratives", Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art (New Paltz, NY)

2020 "Historias Covid-19", Online photography exhibition from the Foto Féminas collective

2018 "La otra mirada(BIS)" Video y fotografía emergente dominicana", Centro de la Imagen (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)

2018 "La otra mirada, video y fotografía emergente dominicana", Festival Photoimagen, Casa de Teatro (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)

2018 "Black and White: 2017", Specto Art Space (Bridgewater, Virginia)

2017 "Luminous", Arc Gallery and Studios (San Francisco, California)

2017 "Focus: Narrative Photography", Black Box Gallery (Portland, Oregon)

2017 "A Surreal Vision", Millepiani (Rome, Italy)

2017 "Immediate Surroundings: The 2017 En Foco Photography Fellowship Exhibition" (New York City, USA)

2017 "The Image of the Savage", Millepiani (Rome, Italy)

2014 "Gagá pa’l Pueblo Photographic Songs", City Council District Office (New York City, USA)

2012 "Santiago a Pulso", FotoCine Club (Santiago, Chile)

2011 "Human Echo: A Group Photography Exhibit", Space Womb Gallery (New York City, USA)

2011 "The Space Between: Photo Stories Printed on Handmade Paper", BronxArtSpace 

(New York City, USA)

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Performance

2018 "With Holdings", in collaboration with Lu Heintz. Arts, Letters & Numbers (Averill Park, New York)

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Presentations, Panels, and Talks

2021, "The Photo book", Shanghai Photofairs

2020, Artist Talk at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art

2020, Charlas Foto Féminas

2020, "On Venezuelan Photobooks: A Conversation with Faride Mereb", International Center of Photography Library

2019 "Moonlight" presented at the #WIP Photography Slideshow at Mana Contemporary Museum

2019 "Umbral" photobook presented as part of the Image Text Ithaca Press booth at the New York Art Book Fair

2019 "Umbral" presented as part of Foto Féminas' booth at the Singapore Art Book Fair.

2019  "Umbral" Book launch with Tim Soter and his photobook ForTress. International Center of Photography Library (New York City, USA)

2018  "Vernacular Photography and Narrative in Photobooks" panel with Melissa Catanese and Gillian McCain. NY Art Book Fair 2018, MoMA PS1 (New York City, USA)

2018 "Libros de artistas. Prácticas editoriales vecinas" panel with Kolektif 2D and La Impresora, Junta de Libros Vecinos, Casa Quien (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)

2017 "Umbral", Open Show Toronto (Toronto, Canada)

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Publications 

World Press Photo, December 2020

National Geographic, November 2020

Playgirl Magazine, October 2020

Nueva Luz Magazine, September 2020

Foto Féminas, September 2020

Pardo, April 2020

The Documentary Family Awards Blog, March 2020

The New Yorker, Instagram Takeover, November 2019

Foto Féminas, Instagram Takeover, October 2018

A5 Magazine, August 2018

Wotisart Magazine, July and August 2018

Latinas in Media, July 2018

Asterix Journal, December 2017

Artconnect, August 2017

F-Stop Magazine, June 2017

Nueva Luz Magazine, May 2017

Float Photo Magazine, May 2017

Artconnect, Staff Picks: "Interiors", "Black and White", April 2017/May 2017

Edge of Humanity Magazine, "Dogs Keeping The Natural Rhythm of Life on the Streets of

Chile ", February 2017

The Idealist España, February 2017

Latinas in Media, February 2017

Woven Tale Press Magazine, February 2017

F-Stop Magazine, December 2016

El País, December 2014

Voices, Journal of New York Folklore Society, (cover image), Vol. 39, Fall-Winter 2013 

The Uptown Collective, "No a la reforma - NYC protests in pictures", November 2012

NACLA Report on the Americas Magazine, "Occupy - Resistance to Global Capitalism in the Americas", Vol. 45, Summer 2012

Boro Magazine, "Is Occupy here to stay?", January 2012

The New York Times, Weekend Miser, February 2011

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Awards

2019 PHMuseum's Best Photobooks of The Year 2019

2018 Ithaca College Dean’s Fellowship recipient

2019 Nominated for PDN's 30: New and Emerging Photographers to Watch

2018 Documentary Family Awards Winner, Photo Series category

2018 Specto Art Space Anything Art Grant Recipient

2017 En Foco Photography Fellowship recipient

Shortlisted for 2017 Lucie Foundation Emerging Photographer Award 

Photogrvphy Grant 2017 Nominee

 

  

Residencies

2018 Arts, Letters & Numbers