Gabriela Téllez, Costa Rica, 1984.
Gabriela completed her Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts from the University of Costa Rica and earned her Photography Specialization at the National Technical University. In 2010, she moved to France to take part in the Arles School of Photography residency.Afterward, she achieved her Contemporary Art in Creation and Studies Master's Degree getting Art and Existence Specialization at the University of Lille III.
Her photographic vision is a hybrid between "story telling" documentary photography and contemporary artistic image. The topics that she's more interested in the daily life contexts wherever she's located, analyzing through her images the profuse elements that determine the quality of life in a specific location.
Gabriela is a member of the Colectivo Nómada, an alternative visual communication platform created in Costa Rica more than a decade ago. She is also part of the agency Light Motiv based in the North of France.
In 2020, World Press Photo Organization chose her as one of the emerging talents for the 6x6 program. She currently locates in France developing interdisciplinary and cultural mediation projects.
Photo: Priscilla Mora
Interviews, publications and others
Art Residencies,Awards & Additional Experience
- 2021 Photographer selected in the screenings of the festival Les NuitsPhotographiques du Pierrevert, France.
- 2020 6x6 Talent from North and Central America from the global program of theWord Press Photo
- 2019 Tutor chosen for the "20 Photographers Atitlán" Project: A Creation and Education Laboratory to rethink the creativity and the educational processes around the Latin American images.
- 2019 Second place granted in the POYLatam contest, “The future of the cities”category.
- 2019 Art Residency sponsored by the Health & Culture Program of theContemporary Art Regional Bureau -DRAC- (1 month) - Douai Hospital Center, France
- 2017 Workshop: Photography Documentary Edition, directed by Rodrigo Abd (4 days) - Centro Cultural Español, El Salvador
- 2017 Art Residency: “El artista yel archivo” for the Laberinto Project, directed by Muriel Hasbun (10 days) -El Salvador
- 2016 Workshop: directed by Susan Meiselas. Photography Center (4 days) - El Salvador
- 2010 – 2011 Art Residency in theEcole Nationale Supérieure de la Photographie - Arles, France
- 2009 Workshop: “Hasta los límites de la Fotografía”, directed by Antoine d’Agatha (1 week) - CostaRica
- 2008 First Place granted in the Annual Contest: “Ambiente Universitario de Artes Visuales” - Universidad deCosta Rica - Costa Rica
- 2008 Nomination: I CentralAmerican Photography Biennial, organized by the French Institute AllianceFrançaise (FIAF) - Costa Rica
- 2007 Art-Paint Residency (2months) - Escuela Superior de Arte “La Espora”. Managua, Nicaragua
Work Experience
- 2020- Guest artist at Lycée Pierre Forest,Maubeuge (France), in the EROA program,artistic and cultural education in partnership with the Rectorate of theAcademy of Lille DAAC.
- 2017 – 2018 Design Teacher & CoursesCoordinator - Parque la Libertad Foundation. San José, Costa Rica.
- 2016 – 2018 Photography Teacher - UniversidadTécnica Nacional. Alajuela, Costa Rica.
- 2014 – 2016 Press Photographer - La NaciónNewspaper. San José, Costa Rica.
- 2013 "Communication with Images forLille’s Mental Health" Project Photographer - Lille, France.
- 2010 Art Workshop Responsible for ElderlyPsychiatric Ill People - National Psychiatric Hospital, Costa Rica.
- 2006-2010 La República Newspaper Photographer -Costa Rica
- 2006-2009 EFE News Agency (Spain) Photographer- Costa Rica
Exhibitions
- 2022 " A l’égard d'un regard" (Collective)- Cinema L'Univers, Lille, Hauts -de- France.
- 2022 "Processus decréation visuelle de l’œuvre chorégraphique Kuxtú". Théâtre de l’OiseauxMouche, Roubaix, Hauts -de- France.
- 2019 “Toponimias” (Colectivo Nómada)- Centro Cultural Figueres Ferrer, SanJosé, Costa Rica
- 2016 "Barrios de San José" (Collective) - Plaza de La Cultura. SanJosé, Costa Rica
- 2016 "La No Bienal" (Collective) - Galería Croma, Costa Rica
- 2014 “El lente, testimonio de vida” Press photography (Collective) - EspacioCultural Carmen Naranjo, Costa Rica
- 2014 “Imágenes/Espejo” Festival Internacional de Artes, Costa Rica (NomadCollective) - Galería Nacional, Costa Rica
- 2011 “París, de lugares y de gente” (Collective) - Alianza Francesa, Paris
- 2010 “TEOR/ética-Introductions” (Collective) - TEOR/ética, Costa Rica
- 2008 “PECA” Central American Emergent Artists (Collective) -TEOR/ética, CostaRica & Central America
- 2008 “Mascaradas” (Individual) - Casa de la Cultura Barva de Heredia, CostaRica
- 2005 “Visiones Inéditas” (Individual) - Costa Rica
Studies Completed
- 2011– 2013 Master’s Degree in Creation, Contemporary Art & ExistenceSpecialist – Université Charles de Gaulle, Lille 3, France
- 2003– 2010 Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts (BFA) & Painting Specialist -Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica
- 2004– 2006 Diploma in Photography - Colegio Universitario de Alajuela, CostaRica
- 2000– 2002 Diploma Architectural Design – Colegio Técnico Profesional, Costa Rica