BIO
Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Studied Photography three-year course at Istituto Europeo di Design (IED), and Painting at Accademia Albertina di Belle Arti in Turin, Italy.
Since little she showed great interest in Arts, studying classic ballet, painting, and modeling, and always felt passion for fashion and finding beauty everywhere.
In 2004, she moved to Turin to study photography and painting.
Her career is influenced by the combination of Latin American, European and African culture. Her vision is nourished by different identities and by the juxtaposition of realism and imagination.
While studying photography in 2008, she decided to photograph the issue related to the taboo about afro and curly hair. Starting making photojournalism documenting all the process of how to straighten curly afro hair with dangerous creams, extensions, wigs, etc. This subject became her biggest personal project, composed by different series like photojournalism beauty parlors in Dominican Republic, Italy, and Africa, as well as portraits, selfportraits, fashion, and artistic and conceptual photography.
In 2014 started “Peregrinos de la Virgen de la Altagracia” photographing for 4 consecutive years the occasion of the anniversary of La Virgen de la Altagracia, in the Basilica de Higüey, a very heartfelt festivity. Believers from every part of the Dominican territory and other places, like Haiti and South America, go to the Basilica every January 21st to pray and make promises. This project is composed by portraits and photojournalism. One of these portraits, La Señora Ensacada, won the 1st prize in an international art contest exposed at MAXXI, Rome, Italy.
Currently lives in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and works in Santo Domingo, New York and Europe.
AWARDS
– First Prize Concurso Internacional de Fotografia: Wifredo Garcia 2012.
– First Prize Concurso de Fotografía: Calendario Qatar 2013.
– Third Prize Concurso de Fotografia: El Poker & La Mujer organized by Princess Hotel & Casino 2013.
– Honor mention de Honor en Plan R.D. Categoría Profesional del II Concurso Fotográfico y Exhibición “Por Ser Niña” 2013.
– Finalist – Muestra Itinerante Iberoamericana Saltando Muros 2013–2015.
– 1st Prize Centro Periferia, Federculture, Rome, Italy 2015.
EXHIBITIONS
2010
– Fotografia?; curators: Chiara Agnello & Matteo Balduzzi, Careof & Museum of Contemporary Photography of Milan, Italy.
– Voci e Silenzi di Lomè; curator Enzo Obiso at Piazza Carignano, Turin, Italy.
– Contemporaneo.doc/ DOCVA; curators: Giulia Ferracci e Carolina Italiano, Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI Secolo, Rome, Italy.
2011
– Vistaesuono; curator: Emanuela Genesio; Cherasco, Italy.
– Ai lati, anagrammi d’Italia; curator: Emanuela Genesio e Associazione Amici dell’Arte at Alba International Film Festival, Chiesa della Magdalena, Alba, Italy.
2012
– Winners of Wilfredo García International Photography Contest; curator: Spencer Platt and Mayra Johnson, Casa de Teatro, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
– Winners of Wilfredo García International Photography Contest; Ministerio de Cultura de Santiago, Dominican Republic.
– Fotos Dominicanas para Calendario del Qatar 2013, Galería Nacional de Bellas Artes, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
2014
– Centro-Periferia, Federculture, Terme di Diocleziano, Roma, Italia.
– Good Bad Hair, Yael Duval & Jenny Polanco, curator: Sara Herman; The Gallery Altos de Chavón, La Romana, Dominican Republic.
– Good Bad Hair, Yael Duval & Jenny Polanco, curator: Sara Herman; Casa Virginia, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
– PHOTOIMAGEN 2014, curator: Sara Herman, Centro Leon, Santiago, Dominican Republic.
– Saltando Muros, Itinerant Exhibition: Museo de Arte Moderno (MAM) Santo Domingo and 10 other Iberoamerican countries.
2015
– Vincitori del Premio di Federculture, MAXXI, Roma, Italia.
2016
– GLORIA, curators: Amy Hussein & Raúl Miyar; Casa Quien, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
– Peregrinos de la Altagracia, curator: Carlos Acero, Museo de la Altagracia, Higüey, Dominican Republic.
2017
– Peregrinos de la Altagracia, curator: Carlos Acero, Centro de la Imagen, Dominican Republic.
Yael Duval Photography® | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
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