Artist Spotlight: Dorian Ulises Lopez Macias
Dorian Ulises Lopez Macias is a Mexican art director and photographer, specialising in fashion and documentary photography. After achieving a degree in graphic design, he landed a job in publishing as a junior designer before becoming a creative director at ELLE Mexico.
It was during his ongoing tenure at ELLE that Dorian became painfully aware of the lack of representation for both Mexico and Mexicans in the media. As a direct result he was motivated to celebrate the beauty of his home and people by casting local models found through small agencies, and using Mexican town-scapes as backdrops for high fashion editorials.
“There was and still is a tendency in the Mexican fashion industry to seek these European or American aesthetics, as if Mexico isn’t worthy of fashion images, which seems absurd to me.”
As a part of the nation’s queer community, Dorian is also on a mission to shift the nation’s perspectives on diverse groups through visibility.
“Visibility is the key, although that might be uncomfortable for some people.”
What truly sets Dorian’s work apart is his ability to understand his subjects, connect with them, and capture them at their most authentic. In front his camera becomes a safe space for many, freeing them to be vulnerable.
