Sueños de Cenote invites viewers into the sacred, underwater world of Mexican cenotes through the lens of Italian photographer Francesca Reina. Her work transcends the surface, capturing serene yet powerful moments where human vulnerability meets natural beauty.
In these ancient sanctuaries, cherished by the Maya as spiritual portals, Reina’s subjects shed societal labels and merge with their surroundings, reflecting a timeless unity between people and nature. Each photograph is a balance of tranquility and flowing movement, embodying the delicate rhythms of life and the resilience of our natural world.
Diving without scuba gear, Reina’s process allows her to capture raw, unfiltered moments of connection between herself, her subjects, and the water. Her images reveal a message of empowerment, transformation, and self-expression, inviting us to face our fears and discover strength within.
This exhibition is both a tribute and a call to action—urging us to honor, protect, and reconnect with our natural environment. Sueños de Cenote offers a peaceful realm, inviting us to see beyond surface identities and reconnect with a shared essence that unites all life.

Season 6, Episode 1 | Brian Van Camerik

In the premiere of Season 6, we explore the transformative artistry of Brian Van Camerik. Known for his meticulous homage to history and queer resilience, Van Camerik reclaims the narrative of queer identity through his Homosocial project and the poignant series A Little Queer. Inspired by 16th-century portrait miniatures, his work layers historical elegance with contemporary queerness, turning slurs and symbols of stigma into emblems of empowerment.

This episode delves into the intimate windows Van Camerik creates—both in his art and his reflections on queerness, HIV/AIDS, and the ongoing redefinition of identity. “The term ‘queer’ was once a slur,” he shares. “Now it’s a source of pride. My work engages with other slurs and taboos to guide them toward a similar reassessment.”

Join us as Van Camerik discusses how his art challenges stigma, celebrates queer intimacy, and rewrites the narratives surrounding the HIV/AIDS crisis. His insights illuminate the power of art to transform pain into beauty and reclaim humanity’s overlooked fragments.

Visit Foto(grafia) 2025 at The Studio Door in San Diego, CA, with the show opening January 8th. Van Camerik’s work will be featured as part of the group exhibition until February 8th and online with the Foto(grafia) group show or his solo exhibition A Little Queer.

Stream the episode now on iHeart, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts, and discover Van Camerik’s work in Volume 4 of TBQA: Pink Tide, available for free at TheBureauOfQueerArt.com.

Leah Cupino’s ‘Erratic’ – A Journey Through Unpredictability and Transformation

In our latest episode, we sit down with Leah Cupino to explore her newest body of work, Erratic. This Artsy.net exclusive exhibition, running from December 4th, 2024, to March 4th, 2025, is a bold investigation into impermanence, resilience, and the unpredictable forces that shape our world.

Drawing inspiration from glacial erratics—boulders transported across landscapes by glaciers or volcanic eruptions—Cupino reimagines these geological wanderers as metaphors for human experience. With shimmering silk chiffon paintings, sculptures crafted from recycled plastics, and innovative materials that blur the line between natural and manmade, her work challenges us to see beauty in transformation and chaos.

Join us for an in-depth conversation as Cupino delves into the inspiration behind Erratic, the tension between permanence and fragility, and how her art captures the relentless forces of nature. A favorite of The Bureau of Queer Art magazine and podcast, Cupino returns to share the journey of her practice, from mountain adventures to her studio in Montana.

Catch the full interview in January 2025, part of Season 5 of The Bureau of Queer Art podcast, and discover how Leah Cupino turns the unpredictable into a stunning reflection of life, identity, and the power of change.