Trujillo /
Mal de Ojo

De Soto Gallery presented Mal de Ojo, a solo exhibition of photographs by Joaquin Trujillo. The work draws on the artist’s personal experience with mal de ojo, or the “evil eye,” a superstition deeply rooted in Latin American culture. As a child in rural Mexico, Trujillo was believed to have been afflicted when he contracted scarlet fever and nearly died, leaving him with lasting eye damage and a lifelong history of corrective surgeries.

The images in Mal de Ojo unfold in two parts: visceral portrayals of Trujillo’s physical and psychological trauma, and carefully arranged still lifes of Mexican folk remedies, personal amulets, and totems. Often presented as diptychs or triptychs—pairing portraits with objects—the works explore themes of isolation, vulnerability, and the enduring need for protection.

Trujillo created the series across India, Mexico, and the US over a span of three years. Objects and imagery were gathered in situ, and the fragmentation of time and place became embedded in the final work. Using photography to reconstruct memory, Trujillo maps cultural lineage across borders and belief systems, shaping a richly symbolic visual language that continues to evolve throughout his practice.

Joaquin Trujillo (b. 1976, Los Angeles; raised in Zacatecas, Mexico) received his BFA from Art Center College of Design. His work has been exhibited at Rose Gallery in Los Angeles, Steven Kasher Gallery in New York, and New Art Projects in London, among others. His photographs are held in the permanent collections of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.