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Curator's Note
“FotoGraFik” is the result of a formative journey through the streets of Cali, Cartagena, Miami, and San Francisco between 2019 and 2022. It was during these travels that Elda Robinet-Stainier, also known as ElleDi, says she “learned to see beauty and complexity where you least expect them.”
Conceived as a true artistic concept, the FotoGraFik project explores the boundary between photography and graphic design to better reveal the invisible connections that bind humans to their environment. Through this selection, ElleDi’s lens orchestrates a subtle dialogue between the urban space—both ephemeral and resilient—and the souls that inhabit it.
«Aqui donde El Viejo se afilan tijeras, alicates y cuchillos...» That’s how he introduces himself to his customers. Day after day, all year round: always on the job and ready to help. Because that’s just what has to be done!
Summer 2019—Popayán, in the Cauca department (Colombia). Amid an atmosphere of underlying social tension, a moment of grace caught my attention. The Chiva’s daughter brightened my day.
Following in the footsteps of the legendary Winterland Ballroom, we pass through neighborhoods that resemble refugee camps. The appearance of this mural by Jorit and Leticia—at the intersection of Polk and Olive Streets—reminds the world of the unbearable plight of the homeless, in San Francisco and elsewhere.
“A trace is what remains when everything else has disappeared...” A hand holding another, reminding me of my loved ones. A forced journey, printed on the back of a T-shirt. A glance away, an offering of fruit. The exploration will end here.
“Eyelids heavy with secrets. A mane riding the waves. A breath of life. A breath… Before our very eyes, the wall comes to life.”
This mural by Adrian Avila (a Cuban-American artist) was waiting patiently for me, away from the crowds, on a secluded vacant lot in the Wynwood District. Should I focus on its dazzling aesthetics, or let myself be swept away by its dramatic narrative? In that moment, the aesthetics won out.
Leaning against the mural in search of a bit of shade, the man in the Panama hat smiles quietly—"The Soul of the Jungle" protects him.
While the mural tells the story of Palenque’s journey toward the light of freedom, a young man sinks into the shadows of modernity’s uncertainty.
Two women, two eras, two cultures... one wall. What would they say to each other if words could bridge the gap?
Resourcefulness, or when the hunter’s instinct resurfaces. “ Debrouya pa peche, ” as they say in the Caribbean. No one blames someone who uses their wits to get by.
Under the intrigued gaze of the Maria Mulata and her aeropage, a man seeks his happiness in the indifference of the street. They watch him from a distance: a wall separates them.
A moment of lighthearted fun amid the sweltering heat in Getsemani, where everything invites you to have a good time. Let the party begin!
Mercado Bazurto: Cartagena’s lifeblood. Hidden from view amid the chaos of the market, a man simmers his meal—his source of food right at his fingertips. «Para el hambre no hay pan duro.»
While the parrot revels in its newfound freedom amid a burst of color, a man appears to have taken its place behind the golden bars of a cage.
This is the story of an encounter between LIordaz (a Venezuelan street artist) and El Ñato—the nickname given to him by the neighborhood residents. Señor Juan, whom the gentrification of Cartagena’s historic center had forced onto the streets. The story of a rebirth, all during a street art festival. El Ñato, or how to defy fate!
Connection is everywhere in the urban landscape: in the air, on walls, in people’s eyes… But simply being “connected” isn’t enough to make yourself heard—or to hear others. “A Love Supreme,” named after this mural by @Elmac, defies the silence of words lost in the city’s hubbub, just as Coltrane’s eponymous album—whose notes transcend sound—delivers a message of universal love to those who take the time to listen.
About This Collection
This body of work was created between 2019 and 2022, during my travels between Miami, San Francisco, Cali, Popayán, and Cartagena. The series explores the concept of FotoGraFik—not as a technique, but as a philosophy of seeing. Each image examines the moment when light transforms into shadow, when the visible becomes a mystery.
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