Greetings! I’m William Riera, a photographer, a globe-trotter, and a keen observer of life’s tapestry. Photography for me it’s a way of existence, a creed, a dance with light and shadow that weaves tales of humanity.
Immersing myself in the myriad emotions of humanity through the lens is like embarking on an exhilarating voyage. When the elements of light, moment, and composition harmonize, magic unfolds, etching memories that linger.
My heart beats for the raw authenticity of documentary-style photography. The streets are my canvas, where I seek to ignite contemplation on the common threads uniting us amidst our diverse paths.
Beyond capturing moments, I find joy in orchestrating artistic endeavors. From managing projects to collaborating with fellow creatives, I thrive in the realm of art curation. My journey has led me to found the South Florida Latin American Photography Forum (SoFLaFoto), a vibrant platform celebrating the rich tapestry of Latin American and Latinx visual artistry across borders.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Kaleidoscope. Arts Connection Foundation Exhibition Gallery. May - July, 2024. Miami, Florida.
Highway 27: In Search of my Eudaimonia. Exhibition Space Photography School “Página en Blando”. February 2024. Mexico City, Mexico.
Octubre. Online Photography Exhibition. July 2020. Miami, Florida.
How to Survive en Miami? Exhibition Space Photography School “Página en Blando”. January 2020. Mexico City, Mexico.
Black & White Photography Retrospective Exhibition. Galería Adelmo. Little Havana Art District. May - June 2017. Miami, Florida.
Santiago de Cuba in My Heart: An Intimate Portrait of the City Through the Lens of William Riera. New Professions Technical Institute Art Gallery. June - October 2015.. Miami, Florida.
Souls: Evocative Portraits from Around the World, Art Space @ BPA Accounting Services Inc.. October 2014. Coral Gables, Florida,
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
Movimiento Oscilatorio. 28th Edition of Fotovisión Festival. Fine Art Institute of San Luis Potosí, Mexico. Septermber-November, 2023.
Breaking More Boundaries.. The Plaxall Gallery at CulturalLabLIC. Long Island City. New York. June-July, 2023..
Take Me. Take This: Embracing Queer Narratives. Miami International Fine Arts (MIFA). June-July, 2023.
The Chronicle is the Fable for this Timid Eyes.. Miami International Fine Arts (MIFA). June-July, 2023..
Carnalval: El mundo al revés. Gallery Héctor Azar, Casa de la Cultura, Puebla, Mexico. February-March, 2023.
Movimiento Oscilatorio. Centro Queretano de la Imagen. Querétaro, Mexico. July, 2022.
Dinámicas urbanas. Exhibition Space Photography School “Página en Blando”. September, 2022. Mexico City, Mexico.
Take Me. Take This. Doral Contemporary Art Museum. June-August, 2022.
Free to Be.. The Plaxall Gallery at CulturalLabLIC. Long Island City. New York. June-July, 2022..
Besos. Online Exhibition. IX Photography Biennal “Alfredo Sarabia in Memoriam”. October 2020. Havana, Cuba.
305-COVID-19 , “Miradas” in Miami in times of Covid-19. Online Exhibition. September-October 2020. Miami, Florida.
Capture Coral Gables 2020. Finalist, Juried Photography Exhibit. Coral Gables Museum. February 2020. Coral Gables, Florida.
Body + Memory + City, Contemporary Photography Group Exhibition PhotoAlicante / FIU. 2019 FIU Graham Center Art Gallery. December 2019. Miami, Florida.
Urban Dance, Visual Rhythm of Cities. Photography Group Exhibition. The Plaxall Gallery, June - July 2019. Long Island City, Queens, New York.
Body + Memory + City, Contemporary Photography Group Exhibition organized by Doral Contemporary Art Museum. 2019 PhotoAlicante International Photography Festival. March 2019. Alicante, Spain.
Capture Coral Gables 2019. Finalist, Juried Photography Exhibit. Coral Gables Museum. January 2019. Coral Gables, Florida.
Earth Day (Día de la Tierra). Group Photography Exhibition. Peña’s Art Gallery of Miami Hispanic Cultural Art Center, April - May 2018. Miami, Florida.
Iré a Santiago de Cuba, “Luz y Plata” Art Gallery, Escuela Práctica de Fotografía. November - December 2018. Puebla, Mexico.
Storytelling Through the Lens. Gold Coast Arts Center. September - December 2018. Great Neck, New York.
Nature into Art/Art into Nature. Group Art Exhibition. Miami Beach Botanical Garden. October 2017. Miami Beach, Florida.
Cuban Art Invitational. Group Art Exhibition. BayArts Visual Arts & Education Campus. July - August 2017. Bay Village, Ohio.
Capture Coral Gables 2016. Finalist, Juried Photography Exhibit. Coral Gables Museum. June - August 2016. Coral Gables, Florida.
Expressions, the Afterlife of Color. Group Art Exhibition. Milander Center for Arts and Entertainment. April - July 2016. Hialeah, Florida.
Six women, two men, eight views on photography. Group Photography Exhibition. RAW Space Art Gallery, April 2016. Vero Beach, Florida.
Help Hope Nepal Mural. Group Art Exhibition. Contemporary Art Projects USA. Spectrum Art Fair 2015. December 2015. Miami, Florida.
Made in Miami, Contemporary Photography. Group Photography Exhibition. Miami Photo Salon. Del Castillo Art Studio. November - December 2015. Hialeah, Florida.
"La Pared" (The Wall) Art Project. Group Art Exhibition. Del Castillo Art Studio. October 2015. Hialeah, Florida.
Miami B.C. (Black Curators) Group Photography Exhibition curated by Carl Juste and Marie Vickles. Little Haiti Cultural Center. August 2015. Miami, Florida.
Capture Coral Gables 2015. Finalist, Juried Photography Exhibit. Coral Gables Museum. June - August 2015. Coral Gables, Florida.
A Shadow of Every Origin. Group Art Exhibition. Del Castillo Art Studio. May 2015. Hialeah, Florida.
Photo-voice Exhibit by Celebrate Diversity Miami. Best in Show. 2015 First Edition of Juried Photography Contest. Museum Park. April 2015. Miami, Florida.
Contemplating Shadows. Futurama 1635 Art Gallery. March 2015. Miami, Florida.
Grandeur. RAW Artists: Miami. March 2015 Edition. Showcased photo series "Contemplating Shadows". LMNT Art Gallery, Midtown. March 2015. Miami, Florida.
Miami Photo Salon, 1st Edition. Finalist, Juried Photography Competition and Festival. Art Basel Week, December 2014. Miami, Florida.
ART EDUCATION
Diplomado de Fotografía Creativa (Certificate in Creative Photography). Página en Blando, Mexico City, January - September, 2022
Maestría en Arte Moderno y Contemporáneo (Master Degree in Modern and Contemporary Art). Centro Cultural Casa Lamm, Mexico City, July, 2022.
Workshop: Aproximaciones al Arte Contemporáneo. Virtual class, Fundación Sala Mendoza. Caracas, Venezuela, 2020
Diplomado de Fotografía y Dinámicas Urbanas (Certificate in Photography and Urban Dynamics) . Página en Blando, Mexico City, 2020.
Workshop: Laboratorio de Crítica e Interpretaciones del Código Fotográfico. Directed by Juan Antonio Molina Cuesta. Página en Blando, virtual laboratory. Mexico City, 2019
Workshop: Narrativa Fotográfica y Discurso Visual. Taught by Johanna Pérez and Wilson Prada. Wilson Prada Photography School, virtual classroom. Caracas, Venezuela, 2018
Workshop: La Investigación en la Fotografía. El artista como investigador. El investigador como artista. Wilson Prada Photography School, virtual classroom. Caracas, Venezuela, 2018
Workshop: Laboratorio de Proyectos Curatoriales. Directed by Juan Antonio Molina Cuesta. Página en Blando, virtual laboratory. Mexico City, 2017-2018
Workshop: Laboratorio de Crítica e Interpretaciones del Código Fotográfico. Directed by Juan Antonio Molina Cuesta. Página en Blando, virtual laboratory. Mexico City, 2016-2017
Professional Photography Course. New York Institute of Photography, 2003-2007
Black and White Photography and Computer Arts, Miami-Dade College, 2001
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION
Project Management Professional Certificate, Florida International University, Miami, FL 2004
Bachelor’s of Science, Summa Cum Laude (Diploma de Oro), Software Systems Engineering, Havana Polytechnic Institute "José Antonio Echeverría", Havana, Cuba, 1990
AWARDS
2023 Fellowship for Queer, Transgender, and Women Artists Documenting Trans Lives Experiences from Miami-based Arts Connection Foundation. This Fellowship allowed the participation
in the workshop “Photobook as Object” taught by celebrated Japanese Professor Yumi Goto and organized by WOPHA Foundation.
2020 Finalist, IX Photography Biennal “Alfredo Sarabia in Memoriam”. Havana, Cuba, 2020
2018 Chosen Winner, AI-AP Latin American Fotografía 7
2017 Selected Winner, AI-AP Latin American Fotografía 6
PRESS AND MEDIA
Portfolio en View. Hypermedia Magazine. Septiembre 5th, 2021
Los 50 años de los CDR con lentejuelas. Hypermedia Magazine. June, 18th, 2021.
“Portfolio in Red”. Revista El Estornudo. November 12th, 2020
“Santiago’s Colors”. Revista El Estornudo. October 22nd, 2020
“A ti, Cachita”. Revista El Estornudo. September 10th, 2020.
“Escalinatas de Santiago”. BEX Fotografía Latinoamericana. August, 2020
“Escalinatas de Santiago”. Revista El Estornudo. August 20th, 2020
“Altares en Miami”. Revista El Estornudo. December 5th, 2019
“La Foto de la Semana”. Periodismo de Barrio. Mayo, 2019
“Los Santiagueros, Siglo XXI”. Bex Fotografía Latinoamericana. Bariloche, Argentina, 2019.
Earth Day (Día de la Tierra). Group Photography Exhibition. Peña’s Art Gallery of Miami Hispanic Cultural Art Center, April-May 2018.
“Santiago Adentro”. Revista El Estornudo. May 16th, 2018
"Recorrió el mundo y ahora expondrá sus mejores fotos en La Pequeña Habana." El Nuevo Herald, Miami, May 24th, 2017
"Santiago de Cuba vive en la obra fotográfica de un Miamense." El Nuevo Herald, Miami, June 25th, 2015
PRESENTATIONS
XXXVIII Feria del Libro del Palacio de la Minería, Ciudad de México, March 2017. Presentation of the Photography Series “Santiago de Cuba in My Heart”
Centro Cultural Español Miami, October 2016. Presentation of the Photography Series “Santiago de Cuba in My Heart”, invited by Ediciones Baquiana on the presentation of their XVII Yearbook
CURATORIAL AND ART MANAGEMENT WORK
Picturing Queerness in the Americas. Exhibition curated with Yenny Hernández Valdés and managed through the sponsorship of SoFLaFoto. June-July 2022.
Decisive Metaphors: Rem(o)n Díaz in Retrospect by Spanish-Cuban photographer Rem(o)n Díaz. Online Exhibition curated and managed through the sponsorship of SoFLaFoto. May-June 2021.
Hold Still: Pandemic in Havana (La enfermedad sobre la enfermedad en La Habana) by Cuban photographer Manuel Almenares. Online Exhibition curated and managed through the sponsorship of SoFLaFoto. January-February 2021.
When the memory turns to dust (Cuando el recuerdo se convierte en polvo) by Cuban visual artist Ricardo Miguel Hernández. Online Exhibition managed through the sponsorship of SoFLaFoto. August-October 2020.
Six women, two men, eight views on photography. Curated and Managed Group Photography Exhibition. RAW Space Art Gallery, April 2016, Vero Beach, Florida.
Through the Women’s Eyes. A Celebration of Women Photography. Curated and Managed Group Photography Exhibition. Miami Photo Salon. December 2015. Miami, Florida.
Made in Miami, Contemporary Photography. Group Photography Exhibition. Curated and Managed Miami Photo Salon. Del Castillo Art Studio. November - December 2015. Hialeah, Florida.
La Pared (The Wall) Art Project. Managed Group Art Exhibition. Del Castillo Art Studio. October 2015. Hialeah, Florida.
A Shadow of Every Origin. Managed Group Art Exhibition. Del Castillo Art Studio. May 2015. Hialeah, Florida.