Daniela Villarreal

Anent presents The Unseen in Between by Daniela Villarreal.

Daniela Villarreal’s artwork redefines femininity as a realm of beauty, sensuality, and eroticism. Through her exploration of affective relationships, feminism, and nature, she offers a contemporary woman’s perspective on these themes. Her work is characterized by a vibrant color palette, chaotic compositions, and playful approaches, utilizing a diverse array of techniques including video, installation, performance, and both analog and digital photography.

Born in Monterrey, Mexico, Daniela Villarreal is a 33-year-old photographer whose career began over a decade ago. Her professional journey includes short-term residencies in New York in 2018 and 2019, where she began developing a contemporary analog archive. She has also worked in cities such as Brussels, Madrid, Mexico City, and Milan. In 2019, Daniela was a featured speaker at several notable photography conferences, including CON FA (Congreso Nacional de Fotografía Analógica) in Mexico and WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photography International) in the USA.

In 2020, she was selected for the Photos for Mexico initiative, a curated collection showcasing contemporary photographers' work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The following year, she was recognized by the LAP Foundation (Latin American Photography Foundation) in the long-standing portrait category and participated in a collective exhibition in Bogotá, Colombia. Daniela was also a selected artist in the sixth edition of PARAC (High-Performance Contemporary Art Program) 2021-2022, hosted by MARCO Monterrey Museum of Contemporary Art.

Her current exhibition explores the emotional and sensory dimensions of affectionate relationships, challenging contemporary notions of love. Daniela’s work reflects an erotic feminine perspective, inspired by the patriarchal influences prevalent in Mexican society and their impact on gender roles. By integrating elements of still life with contemporary subjects, her pieces invite viewers to engage with love in a provocative and introspective way. This exhibition confronts traditional gender roles and emotional dependencies, presenting a fertile and utopian vision where the unseen aspects of love—such as manipulation and psychological or physical violence—are revealed and reimagined through striking, beautiful imagery.

–Anent