FEELING THE PANDEMIC is a colorful series of self-portraits born entirely out of quarantine. Alcantara, a professional photographer in New York City, found her world

flipped upside down when quarantine hit in early 2020. Like many others, her once busy lifestyle filled with meetings, staff and lighting teams, studios and directors was quickly replaced with homemaking activities such as house chores, cooking, cleaning, and assisting with her children’s studies.

LARA ALCANTARA: FEELING THE PANDEMIC, a virtual exhibition of self-portraits in quarantine, from

FEELING THE PANDEMIC is a colorful series of self-portraits born entirely out of quarantine.

The abrupt halt was debilitating, but Alcantara, a reflective and spiritual being, realized she had been given the gift of time on a silver platter. Fears of isolation turned into quiet contemplation, and mundane daily life spurred a robust creativity and a return to the camera that produced over 40 works for the series.

LARA ALCANTARA: FEELING THE PANDEMIC VIRTUAL EXHIBITION

Alcantara’s relatable situations resonate with her audience on social media, an outlet she often uses to help others escape their own fears and anxieties caused by the pandemic. Works such as Finding a Place to Hide, 2020 and Ostrich Form, 2020, are comedic portrayals of a common anxiety trigger, spacial awareness. She reveals her own frustrations of living in small quarters with no space of one’s own as she retreats unsuccessfully to hide in obvious places.

FEELING THE PANDEMIC is a raw and calculated take on the state of our world today. Each portrait digs a tunnel and extends a hand to help the viewer escape reality, if only for a moment, and change our perspective from dark to light, negative to positive.

Lara Alcantara was born in Caracas, Venezuela. She earned her BA in Photography at Bard College and New York Tisch School of the Arts, and her MFA in Photography through the International Center of Photography with Bard College in New York. She has exhibited her work in numerous galleries, museums and institutions throughout Venezuela, Europe and the United States for nearly 20 years, including art fairs and festivals such as Art Miami, FL; Feria Internacional de Arte, Caracas, Venezuela; and FIA Festival Art Caracas, Venezuela. Most recently, Alcantara created and directed the guerilla installation “#CheckmateMaduro” throughout the five boroughs of New York City and New Jersey, garnering attention in news and social media outlets to raise awareness about Venezuelan unrest. She currently lives and works in New York City.

Dates: November 10 - 30, 2020

For more information: Leslie Garrett at 212-888-3550 or gallery@nohrahaimegallery.com

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10/30/2020

📸 Lara Alcantara

In FEELING THE PANDEMIC, Alcantara boldly

steps into the world of “the housewife” using familiar spaces to depict clever, dreamy scenarios injected with humor and sarcasm. One such work, Escape to Nowhere, 2020, captures the artist fleeing isolation using a never-ending rope of laundry. Determination is countered by disappointment as she ironically finds herself landing on the balcony of her own apartment.