Isabelle Leon
Isabelle Leon is a photographer based in Baltimore, MD, and is currently pursuing a BA in Photography at Loyola University Maryland. Taking a meditative approach to her practice, she wanders with her camera letting the scenes and angles speak to her. Isabelle feels this approach gives her the chance to connect with the subjects in an intimate, authentic way. Isabelle finds inspiration from nature and mundane moments in the world around her. She has traveled with her camera throughout South American, with a special focus on Ecuador (where her father is from), recording moments that speak to her heart. Recording and creating moments where she has engaged with the world around her, focusing on nature, the mundane and spirituality.
Artist Statement:
Upon my arrival to the camp for supporting the Vision Quest, the mist of the mountains floated towards me as if my ancestors were descending to greet me, connecting me to past generations that walked the spiritual path before me. “Finding the Spirits” is a visual exploration that traces the echoes of ancestral presence across Ecuador, from the towering peaks of the Andes Mountains to the depths of the Amazonian Jungle, where I have had the humbling opportunity to support a Vision Quest and visit a traditional community. Being half Ecuadorian and traveling alongside my shaman brother, my connection to and appreciation for the land deepened with every day. Through my lens, I sought to document intimate moments of spirituality, capturing the ways ancestral roots continue to be present in the world around us.
Isabelle Leon, “The Solitude of the Heavens and The Spirits” from the series “Finding the Spirits” ,2021, 14x11”
Medium: Digital Photography