STUTTERHEIM Shot by:
Gabriela Alatorre
Mexico-born, Berlin-based photographer and film director Gabriela Alatorre started her creative journey in her teenage years when she turned the camera on herself to explore her identity, tracing the footsteps of artists such as Ana Mendieta and Cindy Sherman. Over time, the intuitive process became a more serious endeavour, and she started studying audiovisual arts with a focus on narrative film. Then photography took centre stage once more, during solo travelling, as it was the most accessible medium while alone on the road. After settling in Berlin, Gabriela found her way back to filmmaking, with support from her partner, who is also a director and has become a partner in creativity as well as in life.
“I’m inspired by intimacy and the naturalness of bodies. I like to catch those moments that look like nothing’s going on but are actually full of feelings and a subtle, strong presence.”
She cites the photographs of Nan Goldin, with their raw honesty, as an artistic influence, as well as the artworks and life of the aforementioned Ana Mendieta. The poetry of Anaïs Nin and the music of Sade are other sources of inspiration. However, on rainy days, she prefers listening to Japanese ambient music, the favourite album being Postcards by The Kyoto Connection. We’ve added the song Rain to our Spotify playlist, because, well…
This shoot, with some of our classic styles and staple colours, was shot in Gabriela’s hometown of Guadalajara. Whenever she visits, she likes to take portraits of local women, and during her last trip, she held an open call for portraits. Four of the women she connected with at the open call participated in this project, three as models and one as a photography assistant. She says that this project was all about support, collaboration and women lifting each other up, themes which are central to her practice.
To see more of Gabriela’s photography, follow her on Instagram @gabriela_alatorre or check out her video work on https://vimeo.com/alatorregabriela.
