Mexico Masks / Rituals: Photographs by Phyllis Galembo

Since the 1980s, photographer Phyllis Galembo has documented ceremonial dress and masquerade traditions in communities around the globe. Mexico Masks / Rituals shifted her focus to Mexico, introducing viewers to the country’s vibrant cultural heritage through striking large-scale portraits celebrating the artistry, symbolism, and enduring traditions of regional festivals and ritual celebrations. Several costumes from the artist’s collection will also be on view, offering viewers the opportunity to experience the materiality in the extraordinarily detailed craftsmanship represented in Galembo’s photographs.

Professor Emeritus of Studio Art at the University at Albany, Galembo presents her first solo exhibition in New York’s Capital Region in nearly two decades. Galembo is internationally recognized for her distinctive photographic practice. A recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, which supported aspects of her work in Mexico, her photographs have been exhibited worldwide, including in the 55th Venice Biennale in 2013.