Sofía Poida; “La Habana Bella”
- Sofía Poida, Sofía Johnson
- Mar 12, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 17, 2021
Artist Feature: Sofía Poida/ Photography / Class of 2022
By Sofía Johnson, Junior Editor
Although Junior Sofía Poida no longer attends St. Mary's Academy (she is currently living and studying in Havana, Cuba), her photography stands out as some of the most vibrant and professional we have ever featured. In the spring of 2020, Escribe Maria received and published a collection of photography taken during her travels to Cuba, where she has done extensive ballet training and cultural immersion. For Sofía, La Habana is home.
In her collection of photographs, Sofía lets Latin America and its people be her inspiration. Influenced by her multicultural family's travels and her own Costa Rican background, she seeks to capture the colorful, diverse subjects of Latin America. In her photo collections “La Habana Bella” and “El Caribe,” Poida highlights the beauty of Havana through her depictions of its nightlife, architecture, and people. During an interview with Escribe Maria, she described the artistic process behind her photography; “I want to show how beautiful it was in that moment. Not everything has to be defined or have a meaning. Art is supposed to be enjoyed, no matter what form it is.”
Poida’s family has collected and appreciated art her whole life, instilling a great love of it in her. Other than her subjects themselves, her greatest artistic inspirations include Frida Kahlo, Frederic Chopin, Alicia Alonso, and Pablo Picasso, as well as the smaller artists she sees online and on the street. She especially loves vintage/retro art and culture, but appreciates modern art as well.
Over the years, Poida has upgraded her camera and improved her techniques. However, the skills she’s learned in photography transcend the medium and help inspire her other artistic pursuits. Poida is also a visual artist, and enjoys translating the beauty captured in her photography onto paper. Additionally, having played piano since she was four, she lets her love of music and the 'colors' of the piano guide her work.
Even though Sofía is no longer a part of our student body, we can't wait to see what she does and where she goes next in her globetrotting adventures!
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