Bogotá – Miami – New York – Berlin – the list of his places of residence sounds pretty cool. What they all have in common is Antonio's creative soul and his passion for photography, painting and fashion. Although he has two brothers, he says he grew up surrounded by women. His mother, aunt, sisters and cousins were fashion enthusiasts. While he spent a lot of time painting in Bogotá, he started photographing parties and fashion events in Miami and New York. The 33-year-old is now a happy Berliner, where he designs and photographs websites as a freelancer, which leaves him enough time for the things he loves: illustrations, art and nighttime walks in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. He teaches tourists in particular long exposure photography around Warschauer Strasse and Schlesisches Tor – the tour regularly ends at the famous 'Mayor' in Kreuzberg.
Antonio's best fashion shots are always taken behind the scenes - full of magic and naked girls. He often ends up backstage via a detour - chance and Vitamin B help. "It's very easy to take a good photo of a sexy girl," he says, "but I look for bigger challenges." So he started working with the LGTB community - which gives his work in the often superficial fashion world a bit of bite and can even become a political statement. "I do it for fun, because there's no reason to tell people how to dress. For me, style is above all about expressing your personality." Since he started working in the fashion industry himself, he has paid more attention to his clothes - but his favorite piece will probably always be his wife's raincoat - green on the outside and red on the inside. "We are the same size and I love wearing your things!"
As soon as the rent and utilities are paid, Antonio devotes himself to his art. He called his last exhibition 'Me, myself and I' - and it revolved around him, Antonio, and his alter ego Juan. In his work, Antonio plays with his double name Juan Antonio and different cultural implications. Called Juan by his mother and family, the name was difficult for many in the States and Germany to pronounce. For them, it was simply Antonio. Antonio built comic-inspired photos around the two characters, in which the two aspects of his personality act like twin brothers. The next exhibition is planned for October, this time about his photos of the LGBT community.
Uniqueness and imperfection are perhaps the most important attributes for Antonio when it comes to his photography. As a double ambassador for Berlin and Bogotá, he is very active in the Lomography community. He particularly likes to use analog lenses for his digital camera to imitate an analog look. And nothing beats his beloved Petzval camera with its special colors and blurred background. And what is the individualist planning next? It took him a while to understand the gray and dark Berlin winters, in contrast to NY - this is the first winter that he uses to escape to Bogotá.
