Today we’d like to introduce you to Cynthia Isakson.
Cynthia, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My name is Cynthia Isakson. I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Houston has been my home since 2003. I am a Professional Photographer with a strong background in technology and I have been working in the computer and technology fields since 2003. I have worked in the education field since 2008. I’ve been taking pictures my whole life, or since I remember. My father taught me how to use his camera in the ’80s. It was a Yashica. Of course, it was only manual and analog. But it was only in 1993 when I took the first picture that made me feel I was a photographer. It was a portrait of my son on his first birthday. I still remember the colors.
I was studying architecture at that time and with only four classes left to graduate, I decided to change my career to my true passion: photography. Even though I did some work in photography, it was never my profession. It was always the way I found to express myself. What I can’t say with words, I say it with images. I spent six years studying photography in the Argentinean School of Photography. Then, more children, exhibitions, awards, and moving to the US followed.
In 2020 a new challenge appeared. This pandemic left me without words. I was full of emotions. I couldn’t describe them, not by myself. I was overwhelmed. So, I decided to take my camera and start talking my way. And suddenly I found myself in need to say something. I’ve always worried about having something to say. And yet, my art, my creativity depends on that. I feel I need to exhibit the many reactions and emotions that stand out in the midst of the pandemic. Desolation, fight, exhaustion, sadness, hope, fear, and anger can only be noted in a fragment of the face: in the eyes. The rest is denied, hidden, at least at times.
With limited contact, my obsession with not being guilty of passing the disease to anyone, and of course, my fear of catching the virus myself, I took my studio to the street, at my front door to be more specific, with a black background in front of the door and a stool for the model to sit on. Just that: a black background, a stool, something to say, and someone who wants to say it with me. This is a series of quarantine portraits. I feel the need to share it with the world.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
My specialty are portraits. I set a studio at home but I love the effect of natural light on my outdoor pictures. My models feel more relaxed in the outdoors, and give me their true selves. Besides the studio, the house became my private showroom (Indigo gallery). I enjoy walking my selected visitors along my different series. I look forward to the end of the pandemic. In the meantime, I have been showing my work online.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
In Houston, you can breathe art in every corner. We live in a progressive city, where art shows itself in different forms and colors. The artists come from different backgrounds, and their artistic expressions vary in infinite formats.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cynthiaisakson.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cynthia.isakson.photography/
Image Credit:
Cynthia Isakson
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