
Dive In
June 10 – July 24, 2021
DETAILS
Former Location - Nicolas Auvray Gallery
520 West 23rd street
New York, NY
ARTISTS
Aldara Ortega
PRESS
Above: Detail, Aldara Ortega, One Love, 2021. Archive pigment print. Multiple sizes and editions
ABOUT
In her latest photographic series, Aldara Ortega invites viewers into the depths of an underwater world, where movement, emotion, and presence converge. Using water as both setting and collaborator, Ortega creates intimate visual narratives that explore connection, femininity, and embodied experience. Through her lens, the interaction between women and water becomes a fluid dance, accentuated by swirling fabric and suspended motion.
Ortega’s work centers the female body as a source of life force and awareness. Submerged in water, her subjects are freed from gravity and external constraint, becoming fully present within the moment. Light, motion, and gesture merge to reveal each muse’s unique essence, captured through instinctive movement rather than posed form. The resulting images are both ethereal and powerful, emphasizing vulnerability alongside strength.
Drawing from a deeply personal practice, Ortega describes her process as an act of surrender and exploration:
“Plunging into an underwater world, I allow the inherent power to take over and start to explore. Submerged, my photography brings this exploration to life, focusing on the strength and beauty of feminine energy, celebrating women and their bodies. I invite the viewer to connect with me, be present in the moment, perceive things differently, and appreciate light, motion, and feeling.”
Together, the works offer a contemplative space where time slows and perception shifts. Ortega’s underwater photographs encourage viewers to engage with the present moment, embracing the transformative qualities of water and the expressive potential of the human form.
FEATURED WORKS



