Joaquin Sarmiento
Lovely Daze is a curatorial journal of artists’ writings and artworks published biannually in limited editions. For this special edition: Of Ease & Euphoria, we are pleased to present a collection of photographs by Joaquin Sarmiento dedicated to the cultural vibrancy and diversity of the Caribbean region of Colombia. This six-year photographic journey (2004~2010) takes us from the remote deserts of La Guajira to the lush landscape around Cartagena.
While growing up in Bogota, I have always been fascinated by the Caribbean region of Colombia. My grandmother was originally from Barranquilla, the largest city of this region, so I was curious to discover what I might have in common with the costeños (people from the coastal area). Colombia struggled through unforeseen harships during the 1980’s and 90’s – roads were controlled by guerilla and paramilitary groups and it became nearly impossible to travel locally. In more recent years, the conflict eased and I returned to the region and committed myself to capturing its uniqueness and documenting how its people have retreated back to the laid-back lifestyle after two decades of violence. ~ Joaquin Sarmiento
publisher/editor/designer ~ charwei tsai
artist/writer ~ joaquin sarmiento
editors ~ kelly carmena, lesley ma, sabrina shaffer
muses ~ ana maria calle, angela garcia, maria martinez, cristina rodriguez
copyright ~ lovely daze, autumn/winter 2010/2011
printed in my beloved formosa
JOAQUIN SARMIENTO was born in 1977 in Bogota. He graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University in the United States. After working as an engineer for several years, he decided to pursue his passion in photojournalism. Sarmiento completed a postgraduate program in Photography at the SENAC School in Sao Paulo and has worked as a freelance photographer since. In 2005, the city of Sao Paulo awarded him a grant which initiated Um Olhar (One View).
The Um Olhar project brought cameras and photography lessons to youngsters living in local favelas. Sarmiento not only taught photography to the students, but also worked with them to organize exhibitions of their work. These resulting exhibitions focused on how Um Olhar’s students saw and documented their daily lives, and challenged how professional photographers and media portrayed life in favelas. After three years in Brazil, Sarmiento moved back to Colombia where he currently resides and continues his work in photography with a focus on the Caribbean region. Following Um Olhar, he has moved on to organizing workshops in schools and prison facilities in Bogota. His work has been published in various news magazines throughout Latin America and has been exhibited in Colombia, Brazil, and Portugal.