Gabriel Garcia Roman - prints and biography

Biography

Gabriel Garcia Roman is a multidisciplinary artist whose work blends photography, craft, and activism to examine identity, visibility, and cultural politics. Born in the deserts of Zacatecas, Mexico, and raised on Chicago’s north side, he immigrated to the United States as a child. Although he did not begin creating art until his mid-twenties, his discovery of photography proved transformative, opening a lifelong pursuit of storytelling through visual form.

Garcia Roman earned his B.A. in studio art from The City College of New York in his thirties, where he developed his unique approach to photography. Challenging the medium’s inherent flatness, he weaves, folds, cuts, collages, and interlaces his prints, creating tactile works that blur the line between photograph and object. These interventions add physical depth and symbolic resonance, underscoring the layered nature of cultural and personal identity.

Central to his practice is an exploration of representation for communities that have historically been marginalized. His celebrated Queer Icons series portrays LGBTQ+ people of color in richly embellished, haloed portraits that recall religious iconography, recasting subjects as figures of dignity, beauty, and reverence. This project came to international attention in 2019 when the Leslie-Lohman Museum commissioned Garcia Roman to produce 100 Queer Icons flags for World Pride, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.

Garcia Roman’s work has been acquired by the International Center of Photography and exhibited widely at institutions such as the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, Galería de la Raza in San Francisco, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York, the Center for Photography at Woodstock, and BRIC in Brooklyn. His recognition includes a 2018 artist grant from the National Association of Latino Arts & Culture and a 2020 residency at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Workspace program.

Based in New York City, Garcia Roman continues to expand his practice, creating powerful visual narratives that celebrate resilience, community, and identity.