Cynthia Edorh

BIO

Cynthia Edorh is a photographer and filmmaker. Born in Montreal, Canada, Cynthia received her BFA in Photography from Concordia University. Her work has been featured in Interview Magazine and The New York Times; and shown at the National Gallery of Canada and The Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography. Cynthia lives and works in New York.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My work explores identity, cultural displacement, and social justice; work I hope is a catalyst for change. I’m inspired by mothers. Fascinated by adolescence, the sense of invulnerability, the transition period from dependence to autonomy.

Interview with Cynthia Edorh

Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you became interested in becoming an artist?

I was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. My mother is French Canadian and my father Togolese. Being underrepresented as a minority; the need and desire to “belong” and my multicultural identity has long informed my art practice. 

Can you tell us about some of your most memorable early influences?

Both my father and my maternal grandfather were photographers. I received my first camera as a birthday gift at age seven. I’ve been documenting my life in some way shape or form since my early teenage years.

Where are you currently based and what brought you there? Are there any aspects of this specific location or community that have inspired your work?

My home is Brooklyn, New York.  I moved here twenty years ago for a year-long internship, and I never left. I felt immediately at home here. I’m inspired by this city and the resilience of its people. Everyone belongs here. 

What is your studio space like? What makes your space unique to you?

My studio is in my home, but mostly, all I need is my camera and laptop, I love to photograph my subjects on location in their environment when possible.

What is a typical day like? If you don't have a typical day, what is an ideal day? Do you work in large chunks of time, or throughout the day?

A typical day involves lots of multitasking as I’m also a Getty Images Executive. Shifting between planning shoots to zoom meetings to picking up my daughter from school.

How do you maintain momentum in your practice? Is there anything that hinders or helps your focus?

I am the mother of a wonderful ten-year-old girl. Becoming a mother has given me so much clarity on my life, my career and priorities.

What medium/media are you working in right now? What draws you to this particular material or method?

My first love is photography. There is something about capturing a moment in time that can never be replicated. 

Can you talk about some of the ongoing interests, imagery, and concepts that have informed your process and body of work over time? How do you anticipate your work progressing in the future?

I started making short films when attending Concordia University in Montreal and NYU Tisch here in New York. I fell in love with filmmaking while working on the set of Spike Lee’s “She Hate Me”. I’ve been planning and researching a very special film project on immigration that is currently in development.

Do you pursue any collaborations, projects, or careers in addition to your studio practice? If so, can you tell us more about those projects, and are there connections between your studio practice and these endeavors?

I work as a commercial photographer and a Getty Images Executive now for almost two decades. It’s given me stability throughout my career and the possibility to have an art practice.

Can you share some of your influences? Are there specific works—from visual art, literature, film, or music — that are important to you?  

Egyptian pharaohs, most specifically The Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. I’m obsessed with Pharaoh Hatshepsut, she was the longest reigning woman pharaoh, she reigned over Egypt for over 20 years, and is regarded as one of the most prolific builders and most innovative rulers of ancient Egypt.

Who are some contemporary artists you’re excited about? Is there a recent exhibition that stood out to you?

Karon Davis “Beauty Must Suffer” at Studio 94, on the realities that Black dancers face in the ballet world. “Going Dark” at the Guggenheim curated by Ashley James. Wangechi Mutu “Intertwined” at the New Museum. Kara Walker “A Subtlety or the Marvelous Sugar Baby”. Deana Lawson’s first museum survey at MoMAPS1. Faith Ringgold “American People” at the New Museum. I love her story, how she was a single mom of two daughters, teaching art and working on her master’s degree at night. She chose to paint on quilts, a medium associated with domestic labor and women's work. 

What are you working on in the studio right now? What’s coming up next for you?

Photographing and editing for “Ni oui, ni non” my series on adolescence; and simultaneously working on a long-term project on single mothers.

Find out more about Cynthia online and on IG