Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Erika Morillo is a photographer and writer based in Jersey City. Her work focuses on the issues of family, the finding of identity, and exploring the photobook as an 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 holds an MA in sociology from The New School for Social Research and an MFA from Image Text Ithaca.
STATEMENT
The main driving force behind my work is investigating how family history intersects with self-identity. I explore these issues through documentary and vernacular photography, writing, and image-text publications. I am interested in using 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.