FLOR GARDUÑO
Flor Garduño was born in 1957 in Mexico City. When she was five years old, her family moved to a farm in rural Mexico. Being surrounded by nature and animals shaped her character as a child. When she was nineteen years old, Garduño wanted to become a painter and started studying visual arts at the Academy of San Carlos (UNAM). There her mentor was Kati Horna, a Hungarian photographer who left Europe during the escalation of National Socialism. Horna’s personality and photography had a significant impact on the development of Garduño’s work. After three years she gave up her studies to work as the darkroom assistant for Manuel Álvarez Bravo, one of the most prestigious photographers from Mexico. During this period she perfected and dilated her photographic skills by making prints in silver, platinum and palladium. From this point of time Flor Garduño’s career as a photographer was defined. After that she was working at the Department of Public Education and therefore visited remote rural areas to find appropriate themes for schoolbooks. This experience gave Garduño the opportunity to gain insights into her homeland and the lives of its indigenious people.
Flor Garduño is currently living and working in Mexico and Switzerland with her daughter and her son.
