A Gaze from Yucatán on a Fragile Paradise
The immersion of artist Colleen Casey Leonard in the Brazilian Amazon region was a profound experience which, driven by her eagerness for continuous learning and knowledge, culminated in the creation of a photographic series documenting her journey through the immense Amazon.
The artist, who has dedicated years to the study of language, rhetoric, and a wide variety of artistic disciplines, brings her intellectual rigor and narrative capacity to photography. Her work goes beyond landscape documentation, employing an exacting technical selection: the series consists of only two printed editions per image, underscoring the uniqueness and value of each piece.
Through Along the Amazon, Casey invites us on a 1,000-mile journey aboard a river vessel managed by a local family. Her 15 photographs, taken between 2017 and 2019 during the river’s dramatic high and low-water cycles, show us a world where life is governed by the incessant tide. The images highlight serenity in the landscapes and capture human faces with a characteristic friendly expression, reflecting the calm that can only be found in the profoundly untouched.
— The Amazon is a region full of life, with pure oxygen and exquisite nature… We cannot lose this paradise. The forests remain in danger. The lungs of the world are fragile.
The Discipline Forged in Yucatán: The Mark of the Gruber-Jez Foundation
An artist who has lived in Yucatán for over 30 years, Casey graduated from the demanding three-year sculpture course taught at the Gruber-Jez Foundation in Cholul, Yucatán, in 2004. This institution, co-founded by the sculptor Gerda Gruber (a pillar of regional art and Chief Sculpture Professor at ESAY), is a benchmark for contemporary arts education on the peninsula, offering a rigorous training model that prioritizes experimentation. Though her training spanned multiple institutions, sculpture maintains a vital importance for Casey, who, since 2009, dedicates her time to two passions: clay and photography. Both mediums are the loves of her life.
An Invitation to Contemplation
Join us at El Zapote Gallery, where the contemplation of the printed photograph becomes essential. The detailed nature and archival quality of the prints (which cannot be fully appreciated online) require a dedicated moment; in this way, the viewer will appreciate the nuances of depth, chromatic fidelity, and the narrative context curated to present the artist’s intention.
The opening reception will be held on November 7, 2025, at 7:00 PM at El Zapote Gallery: Calle 57 #545 A, Mérida, Centro.
