ABOUT

Maria Daniel Balcazar is a documentary photographer
who specializes in long-term photographic essays.

She explores the uniqueness and the universal elements of these traditions, along with the continuous remaking of identity.

Her work captures the strength to resist and to transcend adversity in everyday life.

A central theme in her work is the pivotal role of women in preserving tradition in adversity, nurturing strength in adaptability, and fostering growth in change.

Maria Daniel studied fine arts in Bolivia and Sweden, Journalism and Social communication in Bolivia, and Photography in the United States. She completed her masters studies in Social Communication at Computense University of Madrid in Bolivia. After living in several countries and learning six languages, she taught and organized cultural activities and founded an art school in the outskirts of La Paz, Bolivia.

Her work has been featured in several international magazines and newspapers. She has given talks and workshops in different cities in Brazil, Bolivia, Puerto Rico and the USA.

Her photographic work has been exhibited in universities, galleries, museums, and international festivals in various cities in Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Perú, Italy, the United States and Puerto Rico. Her photographs are in the archives of the Beinecke Library at Yale University, and other educational and cultural institutions in the United States.

Currently, Maria Daniel has a fellowship with Florida International University and Iwitness in the USA.

Books

"Kilombo", published by Burn in 2019, is a tribute to the resilience and vitality of the African legacy in Brazil. This continues to be an ongoing project in Brazil.

"Herederos del Alba", published in 2021, documents and celebrates history and myth, from precolonial to present days, from Andean, Amazonian, European and African roots, as they are interwoven in Bolivia’s main festivity, the Oruro Carnival.

“Matices de tu mirada", published in January 2023, is a visual narrative, honoring the life and work of ,Puerto Rican poet Julia de Burgos, an activist for women’s rights and social change.

"Invisible Custodians" is a photographic documentation project that highlights the centuries-old customs of 15 indigenous communities from Chiquitos, Moxos, and Guarayos along the Amazon and Plata basins in Bolivia.

In the late 17th century, Jesuit missions were established in these communities. They immersed themselves in the native language, shielded the communities from Portuguese slave traders, built churches, and initiated workshops for music, sculpture, painting, and other crafts, drawing inspiration from the local fauna and flora. Skilled "luthiers" crafted violins, flutes, and harps, recognizing music as the primary form of communication.

This project is dedicated to the invisible custodians, the guardians of a natural and cultural heritage, who have safeguarded and continue to preserve their history, legends, and living culture. They achieve this by maintaining their ancestral identity and skillfully blending it with Baroque musical legacies and teachings through music, luthiers, and crafts schools in these communities.