​

Bio

​​

Natali Bravo-Barbee (born in Córdoba, Argentina) is a multidisciplinary artist whose work bridges the realms of photography and installation sculpture. Her journey with photography began at age fifteen, and she has since developed a practice rooted in process-oriented exploration. Bravo-Barbee often incorporates alternative techniques, such as cyanotype, to push the boundaries of image-making and enrich her visual narratives.

 

Merging the personal with the political, Bravo-Barbee delves into postcolonial and feminist themes, weaving in lived memories of her family’s migration from Argentina. She holds an MFA from City College, CUNY, and a BA in Studio Art from Hunter College, CUNY. Based in Queens, New York, Bravo-Barbee is an active member of the Southeast Queens Artist Alliance (SEQAA) steering committee. Her work has been exhibited at venues including York College Fine Art Gallery, Mattatuck Museum, Flushing Town Hall, Queens Botanical Garden, Light Art Space, and Galerie Lucida in Red Bank, NJ.

​

​

BEHIND THE LENS

 

My installation artwork exists at the intersection of photography and sculpture, where the blend of forms resonates with the nostalgic and playful currents that run through my practice. Texture plays a pivotal role in my work, acting as a powerful trigger for memories and as an essential component of self-identity shaped by geographic and political landscapes, rooted in personal histories. Through cyanotypes created with relics from my own life, I make two-dimensional records of three-dimensional objects, embedding each object’s legacy within its representation.

 

Instant photography, another key element in my practice, draws on the immediacy of the moment, offering a way to interpret our environments while alleviating the lingering anticipation for a finished product as the image reveals itself in seconds. My practice, therefore, bridges lived histories and the immediate present, capturing vivid truths latent within the everyday.

 

Memory’s transformative impact on identity is a recurring theme in my work. The camera serves as a primary tool for preserving and interpreting memories. As a process-oriented photographer, I work across digital, analog, and alternative processes, merging these methods to create layered narratives. As an American citizen who immigrated to this country, capturing memories is crucial to my exploration of lost time, visually resurrecting forgotten objects and stories from my family’s past. My work disrupts the conventional boundaries of photography, transcending the black frame and evolving into sculptural forms that invite the viewer’s engagement.

​