Luis Manuel Diaz's 'Canta y No Llores' Family Portraits Shown at Upstate Photography Biennial

Luis Manuel Diaz's photographic project, Canta y No Llores (Sing and Don't Cry), which he initiated in 2016, was showcased recently at the Upstate Photography Biennial held at the Center for Photography at Woodstock (CPW). This series explores his family's domestic life, featuring works like Untitled (Self-Portrait and the Family Tree) (2024), created in his grandmother's cobalt-blue bedroom without windows in a small Michoacán town where he was born. Diaz, who relocated to the United States at nine in 2005 and grew up in Westchester, New York, regards that bedroom as a significant early influence. His father worked in construction while the family remained in Mexico, with photographs bridging their connection. Diaz received a BFA from Parsons School of Design in 2019 and an MFA from Yale University in 2025. His portraits, such as Untitled (Hidden Mother) (2023) and Untitled (First Communion) (2025), featuring his youngest sister Stephanie, reflect the dramatic elements of Catholic religious art. In 2017, his father endured a near-fatal accident on a job site, an experience Diaz honors through his relentless work ethic. He discussed his series during an artist talk at CPW.