Behind the Veil: Juan Sebastian Contours Monolithic Beauty
Juan Sebastian, Entre nosotros, 2021, 48 x 42 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Photographer Juan Sebastian (b. Colombia) grapples with dualities—the fluid and the immobile, the concealed and the exposed. His portrayal of veiled, austere figures find themselves wandering in vast, monolithic landscapes, imbued with an air of mystery, sacredness, and psychological distance. Having immigrated to Miami at just 17 years old, Sebastian is inspired by his deep-rooted love for theater and magical realism in literary works. In this interview with writer Montserrat Miranda Ayeje, Sebastian unpacks his storytelling, the symbolic meaning of the veil motif, and his recent retrospective.
Montserrat Miranda Ayeje: Why did you choose photography as a medium?
Juan Sebastian: I’ve always been captivated by the intrigue of a photograph—it’s like a sliver of time, a suspended moment. Coming from a background in theater, where the process and puesta en escena—the staging of a scene—were central to my creativity, I see photography as an extension of that theatricality. It allows me to create ephemeral, drama-filled performances captured in a single, transcendent frame.
What fascinates me most about photography is its poetic nature: the act of capturing a “slice of a second,” an infinitesimal moment brimming with the tension of what came before and what might follow. Photography feels profoundly mystical—a testament to the fleeting existence of a moment, preserved in a heartbeat. As photographers, we’re like magicians, weaving fantasy and reality into something tangible, enduring, and believable.
Juan Sebastian, La Caricia, 2020, 60 × 60 in. Courtesy of the artist.
MMA: What’s important to your artistic process?
JS: Storytelling lies at the heart of my process. Often, I feel as though I’ve dreamt my images before they even existed, as if they’ve been waiting to be unearthed. I’m drawn to exploring the unveiling of the fourth wall, the musicality of the image, and the softness of confrontation with the viewer. I want my photographs to act as mirrors but also as icons—like religious imagery that becomes imprinted in cultural memory. They invite viewers into a dialogue, creating an experience that feels intimate yet universal.
MMA: The veil is a recurring element in your work. How did you become interested in it, and what does it represent?
JS: The veil, for me, is far more than a material—it’s a threshold, a portal. It transforms the body into something that exists both here and beyond, grounding it in the moment while elevating it to the realm of the divine. Growing up in Colombia, where Catholicism is woven deeply into the visual and cultural fabric, I was surrounded by religious imagery: icons of saints, the Virgin Mary, and veiled figures imbued with mysticism and transcendence.
Even though I don’t identify as Catholic, these images imprinted themselves on me, becoming some of the first symbols I encountered as a child. They hold power—they’re not just pictures but objects of belief. In my work, the veil allows me to engage with this sense of the divine in a broader, universal way. A veiled body ceases to be just a body; it becomes a symbol, stripped of individual identity markers—gender, race, age—leaving behind an essence that feels sacred.
At the same time, the veil invites questions: What is being hidden? What is being revealed? There’s a tension between concealment and discovery, between intimacy and distance. For me, the veil transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary, forcing us to confront our assumptions about what we see—or don’t see.
Juan Sebastian, Espejo, 2021, 40 x 60 in. Courtesy of the artist.
MMA: You were born in Colombia, and some of your most important pieces are strongly connected with Colombian culture and identity. How did moving to Miami impact the way you think about your work?
JS: Moving to Miami was a profound shift that opened new creative possibilities. It’s a city with a vibrant mix of cultures and an energy that inspires reinvention. Miami has become a space where I can reflect on identity, memory, and transformation in ways that feel organic. Being here has allowed me to revisit my Colombian roots—its poetry, music, and art—with fresh eyes, while also drawing inspiration from global influences. Navigating between the richness of my roots and the openness of this city has shaped the way I tell stories.
MMA: This year, you will present your first retrospective, Veils, Shadows, and Spaces of the Self, at SCOPE. Could you tell us a bit more about this upcoming show?
JS: This show marks 10 years of my journey as an art photographer. The exhibition is both a retrospective and a celebration of themes that have consistently resonated with me. The title reflects the essence of my practice—the tension between what is revealed and what is concealed, between the personal and the universal.
Installation view of Juan Sebastian’s photographic work at SCOPE, 2024.
MMA: Why and how did you decide to show this series of work?
JS: Curating a retrospective within the context of a photo fair was certainly a challenge, but it felt like the right moment to celebrate a decade of work. Over time, my visual language has become more unified, with recurring themes such as color, myth, the body, and time.
What excites me most about this show is witnessing how works from different periods collide and converse. For example, a series on veiled figures from early in my career now resonates with more abstract explorations of light and shadow in recent works. These interactions reveal new layers of meaning I couldn’t have foreseen.
MMA: What other projects do you have on the horizon?
JS: I’m thrilled to be launching my first book that takes a comprehensive look at my work over the past decade. It includes insightful curatorial essays in both Spanish and English by the brilliant art historians Rita Astrid Rodriguez and Rosa JH Berland.
Beyond that, I’m continuing my involvement with Galería Subtítulo Residency, mentoring artists and curating exhibitions. This year has been one of reflection and creation, and I’m excited to see where this momentum will lead me next.
Courtesy of Juan Sebastian.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
