Camila Falquez, Cristiana Martínez Quiñonez, She/Her, Buenaventura, from the Compañerx series, 2024. Courtesy of the Artist and Hannah Traore Gallery.
The Compañerx series was created in collaboration with stylist Lorena Maza, writer César Vallejo and activists Juli Salamanca and Yoko Ruiz.
Camila Falquez, Marisol, She/He, Andrea, She/Her, Verónica, She/Her, Santuario, Risaralda, from the Compañerx series, 2023. Courtesy of the Artist and Hannah Traore Gallery.
The Compañerx series was created in collaboration with stylist Lorena Maza, writer César Vallejo and activists Juli Salamanca and Yoko Ruiz.
Camila Falquez, Farith Palacios Ortiz, She/Her, Quibdó, from the Compañerx series, 2023. Courtesy of the Artist and Hannah Traore Gallery.
The Compañerx series was created in collaboration with stylist Lorena Maza, writer César Vallejo and activists Juli Salamanca and Yoko Ruiz.
Camila Falquez, Milo Mosquera Rodriguez, He/Him, Mosquera, Nariño, from the Compañerx series, 2024. Courtesy of the Artist and Hannah Traore Gallery.
The Compañerx series was created in collaboration with stylist Lorena Maza, writer César Vallejo and activists Juli Salamanca and Yoko Ruiz.
Camila Falquez, Yosuar A. Mendoza M., They/Them, Quibdó, from the Compañerx series, 2023. Courtesy of the Artist and Hannah Traore Gallery.
The Compañerx series was created in collaboration with stylist Lorena Maza, writer César Vallejo and activists Juli Salamanca and Yoko Ruiz.
Camila Falquez, María Victoria Palacios, She/Her, Quibdó, from the Compañerx series, 2023. Courtesy of the Artist and Hannah Traore Gallery.
The Compañerx series was created in collaboration with stylist Lorena Maza, writer César Vallejo and activists Juli Salamanca and Yoko Ruiz.
Camila Falquez, Dahianna Beltran aka Barbie, She/Her, Cali, from the Compañerx series, 2024. Courtesy of the Artist and Hannah Traore Gallery.
The Compañerx series was created in collaboration with stylist Lorena Maza, writer César Vallejo and activists Juli Salamanca and Yoko Ruiz.
Camila Falquez, Cristiana Martínez Quiñonez, She/Her, Buenaventura, from the Compañerx series, 2024. Courtesy of the Artist and Hannah Traore Gallery.
The Compañerx series was created in collaboration with stylist Lorena Maza, writer César Vallejo and activists Juli Salamanca and Yoko Ruiz.
Camila Falquez, Marisol, She/He, Andrea, She/Her, Verónica, She/Her, Santuario, Risaralda, from the Compañerx series, 2023. Courtesy of the Artist and Hannah Traore Gallery.
The Compañerx series was created in collaboration with stylist Lorena Maza, writer César Vallejo and activists Juli Salamanca and Yoko Ruiz.
Camila Falquez, Farith Palacios Ortiz, She/Her, Quibdó, from the Compañerx series, 2023. Courtesy of the Artist and Hannah Traore Gallery.
The Compañerx series was created in collaboration with stylist Lorena Maza, writer César Vallejo and activists Juli Salamanca and Yoko Ruiz.
Camila Falquez, Milo Mosquera Rodriguez, He/Him, Mosquera, Nariño, from the Compañerx series, 2024. Courtesy of the Artist and Hannah Traore Gallery.
The Compañerx series was created in collaboration with stylist Lorena Maza, writer César Vallejo and activists Juli Salamanca and Yoko Ruiz.
Camila Falquez, Yosuar A. Mendoza M., They/Them, Quibdó, from the Compañerx series, 2023. Courtesy of the Artist and Hannah Traore Gallery.
The Compañerx series was created in collaboration with stylist Lorena Maza, writer César Vallejo and activists Juli Salamanca and Yoko Ruiz.
Camila Falquez, María Victoria Palacios, She/Her, Quibdó, from the Compañerx series, 2023. Courtesy of the Artist and Hannah Traore Gallery.
The Compañerx series was created in collaboration with stylist Lorena Maza, writer César Vallejo and activists Juli Salamanca and Yoko Ruiz.
Camila Falquez, Dahianna Beltran aka Barbie, She/Her, Cali, from the Compañerx series, 2024. Courtesy of the Artist and Hannah Traore Gallery.
The Compañerx series was created in collaboration with stylist Lorena Maza, writer César Vallejo and activists Juli Salamanca and Yoko Ruiz.
Compañerx
Compañerx (2023–24) is a series of portraits by Camila Falquez that accompanies a legislative proposal, titled Ley Integral Trans, Ya!, aiming to protect the rights of trans and non-binary individuals in Colombia. With a dedicated focus on social activism, Falquez – who is of Colombian heritage – interweaves the traditions of portraiture and fashion photography with elements of performativity.
For Compañerx, Falquez collaborated with stylist Lorena Maza, writer César Vallejo, and activists Juli Salamanca and Yoko Ruiz, from the organization Liga de Salud Trans, to photograph eighty individuals from over thirty regions, ranging from the mountains of Risaralda to the seaside town of Buenaventura. The series includes seemingly disparate communities: Afro-Colombian and Indigenous people, sex workers, HIV-positive individuals, and victims of Colombia’s armed conflict, among others. Collectively, the photographs illustrate the multifaceted nature of gender identity and underscore Falquez’s commitment to telling their stories. The portraits honour the resilience and endurance of vulnerable communities whose existence remains under threat.
Falquez believes in the power of photography to challenge Western traditional notions of beauty and power. Merging art-historical references from Surrealism to the Renaissance with a DIY aesthetic, Falquez reimagines her subjects evoking a sense of perseverance and possibility. In her compositions, she drapes her figures in boldly coloured silk fabrics, creating costumes and accessories that highlight the individuality of each subject. The arresting portraits often gaze directly at the camera, creating intimate connections between subject and viewer. These deeply personal photographs extend an invitation to diverse audiences seeking solidarity, safety, and a sense of belonging.
Presented in partnership with the City of Vancouver and sponsored by Pattison Outdoor Billboards. The Arbutus Greenway Billboards are generously supported by Bruce Munro Wright and Ron Francis Regan.
Click on the video link to learn more about this project: Compañerx the Performance. Compañerx is possible thanks to the support of Future Being.
