Harvey Castro and Izzi Valencia
Echoes of Resilience: Reclaiming History
May 2 – June 7, 2025
Opening Reception: Friday, May 2, 5 – 8 pm
Location: Harvey Milk Photo Center, 50 Scott St., SF
Free and open to the public
Exhibit Dates: May 2 – June 7, 2025
Curator: Ann Trinca & Melissa Keesor, Director of Harvey Milk Photo Center
Gallery Hours: T-Th 3–8:30 pm & Sa 11 am–4:30 pm
Izzi Valencia, Ojos a Xjan Xwan – Feria De San Juan Atitán, 2022 – cover photo right
Harvey Castro, Untitled from the series Los Olvidados Guatemala, 2021 – cover photo left
Echoes of Resilience: Reclaiming History presents a powerful exhibition featuring the work of Bay Area photographers Harvey Castro and Izzi Valencia. Their photography documents the enduring spirit of communities facing climate disasters, cultural preservation, and the dignity of labor often overlooked in mainstream narratives.
Harvey Castro’s “Los Olvidados” series captures the profound impact of natural disasters on marginalized populations. His photographs from Guatemala and Puerto Rico vividly depict communities in the aftermath of environmental catastrophes, highlighting their perseverance and the critical need for ecological accountability.
Izzi Valencia’s work focuses on the unification and organization efforts of Maya Mam, Mixteca, Chatino, Wixárica, and Nahua communities. Through his lens, he portrays the strength and solidarity of these groups as they strive to preserve their cultural heritage and rights amidst external pressure.
Valencia’s recent project “Native Sun Leaves” turns a spotlight on the contribution of agricultural workers to the wine industry in Napa and Sonoma Counties. In these portraits, Valencia uses a chlorophyll printing process on grape leaves to honor workers from Oaxaca, Mexico, whose labor is integral to the region’s agricultural economy.
This exhibition offers an intimate look into the lives of people overcoming adversity, emphasizing their strength and solidarity. Through the eyes of two artists deeply connected to their roots, visitors are invited to engage with stories of resistance in existence.
ARTIST BIOS
Harvey Castro creates immersive installations and photographic works that explore the liminal spaces between belonging and displacement. He transforms personal migration narratives into universal reflections on shadow, time, and memory using experimental processes like cyanotypes on fabric, velum overlays, and site-responsive installations. His Los Olvidados series, inspired by Hurricane Maria’s aftermath, employs culturally significant toning—grana cochinilla for Guatemala and coffee for Puerto Rico—to forge connections between material, history, and identity. Drawing from his journey from Nicaragua to the Bay Area tech industry and then to multidisciplinary art, Castro’s work merges systematic and intuitive approaches, using layered imagery and translucent surfaces to create environments where personal and collective memories converge. Through deep community engagement, he invites viewers to reconsider their place within broader narratives of displacement, environmental change, and human connection.
Izzi Valencia, originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, immigrated to Napa, California, in his early teens. He discovered photography in high school and honed his skills in the darkroom, eventually assisting his photo teacher and working at the St. Helena Star under an Ansel Adams pupil. Inspired by street and documentary photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson and Dorothea Lange, Izzi’s career was reshaped after being diagnosed with leukemia at age 20. His recovery deepened his connection to the natural world, leading him to found Infinity Visuals in 2003. Today, he works closely with clients, using photography to enhance their businesses through creative, impactful imagery. Beyond commercial work, Izzi is dedicated to using photography as a tool for social and environmental justice, shedding light on pressing issues through his lens.