José Luis Casañ is of provincial origin (Murcia, Spain, 1954). Despite briefly starting his studies in Journalism in Madrid, he soon found himself involved in international journalism, becoming a correspondent and special envoy for several years in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe for Agencia Efe, Diario 16, and other media. Without an apparent reason, he gravitated towards photography, influenced by the vision and images captured by colleagues during the coverage of conflicts. Upon retiring from hard news, a world unknown to him until then, Latin America entered his self-taught eyes from the moment he set foot in it. He was particularly drawn to popular, beautiful, and beloved Mexico, with all its conflicts, advantages, drawbacks, fortunes, and misfortunes.

Ricardo Maldonado Garduño

(Mexico City, 1969). He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences with a specialization in Journalism from the University of Valle de México (UVM). Master’s degree in Visual Arts at the Faculty of Arts and Design (FAD), San Carlos Academy, UNAM.

He has collaborated in different media outlets as an independent photojournalist:

Kodak Professional. Agence France Press Mexico. Press One Mexico Agency. Cartel Urbano Magazine (Colombia). Domingo Magazine (El Universal Newspaper). Asamblea Magazine (Legislative Assembly of Mexico City). Punto por Punto Virtual Portal (Link to the Digital World) Mexico. Virtual Space Mex Portal, Spain. And Bajo los Reflectores (Entertainment and Culture).

He has participated in more than 75 group exhibitions and 22 solo exhibitions in countries such as Germany, Australia, Chile, Spain, and Mexico. Highlights include:

“The Image Pursuer” Museum of the City of Mexico 1999. “Photographing Democracy” IFE 2003. “The City Homage to Enrique Bostelmann” CESIMAC 2004. “The Radical Will Homage to Susan Sontag” University Museum of Chopo 2005. “The Passion” Photo Access Arts Studio Gallery, Australia 2005. “New Mexican Folklore” Centric Point Gallery, Barcelona Spain 2006. “Die Macht Der Sprache Im Blind” Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts of Berlin 2007. “Passion in Iztapalapa” Open Gallery of the Rejas de Chapultepec 2008. “8 Barrios en Carnaval” Open Gallery Iztapalapa Delegation 2011. “Images of Mexico City” Cultural Center Espacio Matta, Santiago de Chile 2013. “Morelos, a state in the eyes of photographers” Regional Museum Cuauhnáhuac, Cortés Palace, Cuernavaca, Morelos. 2016. “La Pasión en Tenorios” Open Gallery of Macro Plaza del Jardín Cuitláhuac. Iztapalapa Delegation, Mexico City. June 2016. “Comparsa Calaveras del Poblado de Santa Cruz Meyehualco, Iztapalapa CDMX”. Exhibited at the Gallery of the Bastion of Candelaria, Cádiz, Spain. 2017. “Independence Day in Ixtlilco el Grande, Morelos”. Exhibited at La Casa de Iberoamerica. Sisters Mirabal Room City of Cadiz, Spain. 2018. “Passion of Christ, in Tenorios Iztapalapa.” Exhibited at the City Hall of Algar. City of Algar, Andalusia, Spain. April 2019. “A Look Toward Death” (Altars, Offerings, and Catrinas). Exhibited at the Blas de Lezo exhibition hall, Casa de Iberoamerica, City of Cadiz, Spain. 2020. “A Look Toward Death” (Altars and Offerings). Exhibited at the exhibition hall of the Cultural Institute of Mexico in Spain. Embassy of Mexico in Spain, Madrid November 2021.

In the editorial field, his images are published in books and magazines:

“Pasion en Iztapalapa.” ed. Trilce-Oceano, 2008. “Poetic Anthology Choir on Fire for Che Guevara.” Ed. Nubes y Arena Editores, 2008. “43”. Ed. UAM Cuajimalpa. 2017. “Migration 2.0”. Ed. UAM Cuajimalpa 2017. “Solidarity City 19s”. Ed. UAM, Secretaría de Cultura CDMX, Museo Archivo de la Fotografía (MAF), 2017. “Being a Woman in Latin America”. Ed. UAM Cuajimalpa 2018. “Alquimia Magazine No. 63, When the Earth Quakes”. Ed. INAH. 2018. “Con-Temporanea Magazine first edition, Earthquake 19s (voices and images)”. Ed. Secretaria de Cultura, INAH. 2019. “Coronalibro I”. Ed. UAM Cuajimalpa 2020. “Coronalibro II”. Ed. UAM Cuajimalpa 2021.

Throughout his career, he has received several awards, including:

Third Place: “Image Pursuer” contest. 1999. Special honorable mention in the black and white and color categories, “Tlalpan 99 Contest”. Special mention in the second national contest “Photographing Democracy” IFE 2003. Third place “The historic center seen by young people”. 2004. Honorable mention in the contest “The city homage to Enrique Bostelmann”. CESIMAC 2004. Selected “The radical will homage to Susan Sontag”, 2005. Multicultural International Festival Canberra Australia Theme: “The Passion” 2005. Selected “Die Macht der Sprache Imblind”, Berlin 2007. Third Place: National Photography Contest: “Influence of France in Mexico” 2011. Selected: “Expofotoperiodismo 2012”. First Place: “Day of the Dead” contest Pedro Meyer Foundation (PfM), 2014. Selected “II Héctor García Photographic Biennial 2015”. Selected international graffiti contest “XTRart” Spain, 2015. Selected with the photographic series “La Niña Blanca”. Latin American Anthropology Congress 2015. Selected in the “Yearbook of Mexican Street Photography 2021”. Urban Observers, 2021.