Fotografía artística de portada

Fernando Bocanegra

Fernando Bocanegra · Visual Artist

Artist Statement

I see photography as a way of exploring what we cannot always express in words: emotions, desires, contradictions, and worlds that exist both within us and around us.

I do not seek to offer definitive answers. I am interested in creating images that awaken something in those who encounter them, allowing each person to discover an experience of their own.

Biography

Fernando Bocanegra is a Panamanian visual artist and photographer, recognized for his work in fashion photography and his contributions to commercial and editorial photography in Panama.

Since the mid-1990s, he has developed a career spanning advertising campaigns, editorial photography, and personal projects. He was the lead photographer at Publi 4, an advertising agency where he worked from 1995 to 2002, and later served as photo editor at Blank Panamá. He also collaborated with publications including Hip Magazine, F&G Golf Magazine, SoHo Panamá, and Stage. From 2013 to 2017, he was a Sony Alpha ambassador in Panama.

His artistic practice explores identity, emotions, and different ways of perceiving the human experience. He has collaborated with artists including Humberto Vélez, María Raquel Cochez, Susana González Revilla, Antonio José Guzmán, Rolo De Sedas, and Fernando Toledo, participating in projects that connect photography with other artistic and cultural practices.

Exhibitions & Career

Solo Exhibition

2012 · The Chillin Hours. Panama City, Chitré, and David.

Group Exhibitions

2023 · Panamá Radical. Cinéma Les 7 Parnassiens, Paris, France.

2021 · Bienal del Sur / Museums Through Artists. Curated by Maylin Pérez Parrado.

2021 · Panamá, Ciudad Entrañable. National Archives, with the Photographers' Guild.

2020 · Integridad, with Los del Patíbulo. Juan Manuel Cedeño Art Gallery, Casco Antiguo, Panama.

2018 · JOURNEY, with Los del Patíbulo. La Dorada, Panama.

View Full Exhibition History

2017 · Monocromía, with the Photographers' Guild. La Plural, Panama.

2015 · Panamá y su gente. Instituto Cervantes, Cairo, Egypt.

2014 · Foto Septiembre. Loma-Casa de Arte, Panama.

2010 · Festival Macro Fest. Casco Antiguo, Panama.

2009 · Foto Septiembre. Galería Arteconsult, Panama.

2007 · Mi Paz. Casa Góngora, Panama.

2006 · Patrimonio Humano. Casco Antiguo, Panama; Costa Rica and France.

2005 · Red Eye Art. La Casona, Panama.

2003 · Foto Septiembre. Galería La Boheme, Panama.

2002 · Foto Septiembre. Museum of Contemporary Art, Panama.

2002 · II Festival de San Felipe. Former Power Plant, San Francisco, Panama.

2001 · Erotropic. Reina Torres de Araúz Museum, Panama.

Artist Residencies & Special Projects

2025–2026 · Conexión Drácula. Artist residency at Finca Drácula in Volcán, Chiriquí, in October 2025, followed by a presentation of the exhibition at Maduro's Tropical Flowers in Panama City in June 2026.

Awards & Recognitions

2026 · Shortlisted for the Roberto Lewis Award for Nunca fui una sola.

2023 · Winner of the Carlos Endara Award in the Portrait category.

2019 · Honorable Mention, Roberto Lewis Award.

2003 · Victoria Award for Best Artistic Photographer.

Selected Works

Art

Photographs, explorations, and personal worlds.

A woman applies red lipstick in front of a cracked mirror in a bathroom with old tiled walls. Her reflection is illuminated by a yellowish light.
Kelly
A woman with closed eyes floats on her back in water, surrounded by green leaves and vegetation. She wears a sheer white blouse and a salmon-colored garment. Her hands rest near her neck as bluish reflections ripple across her face and body.
Ensueño
Black-and-white photograph of a vast, nearly deserted beach. In the foreground, a large fallen tree trunk lies on the sand, its bare branches reaching toward the sky. In the distance, a woman walks alone near the shoreline beneath a wide, cloud-filled sky.
I belong to you
A woman with black hair and bangs, wearing a long black off-the-shoulder dress, sits on the edge of a bed with her hands clasped in her lap. She has a serious expression and tattoos on one arm. Green light illuminates the bed, while a lamp casts a strong yellow glow across the bedroom wall.
El dolor que llevamos dentro
Portrait of a woman against a black background, captured with a motion effect that multiplies and overlaps her face. One image faces the camera, while others shift toward the left, some in profile and others blurred. Warm lighting creates a composition of translucent faces that seem to coexist.
Nunca fui una sola
Black-and-white photograph of a woman dressed in white with black high heels, standing on a rooftop. She holds a large black umbrella that partially conceals her face and rests one foot on a small ventilation structure. Two satellite dishes rise to her right beneath a vast, lightly clouded sky.
The woman in my dreams
A woman with long, dark hair walks across a vast stretch of reddish sand dotted with green grasses. She wears a white knitted dress that reveals her back and black cowboy boots. Seen from behind, she tilts her head downward, with trees, mountains, and a partly cloudy blue sky stretching into the distance.
Los secretos de Lore
Black-and-white photograph of a woman seen from behind, with bare shoulders and her hands resting on her waist. Her head is turned to one side, and her face appears blurred. Soft light illuminates her back and arms against a black background, while the blurred figure and softened edges create an ethereal appearance.
Ghost
A woman with closed eyes floats on her back in the water, positioned in the lower-right corner of the photograph. She wears a black swimsuit and holds her arms raised around her head. The brown and golden surface of the water fills most of the image, while small reflections of sunlight sparkle like stars near her face.
Universe
Black-and-white photograph of a woman wearing a white shirt and trousers with black high heels, leaning against a white wall on a rooftop. Her arms are extended to either side and her face is tilted toward the sky. Sunlight casts an elongated shadow of her figure onto the wall, while the diagonal lines of the architecture dominate the composition.
Azotea
A barefoot woman walks along a wide sandy beach beside the ocean. She wears a long black robe with colorful embroidery and a dark head covering. A vivid band of red makeup surrounds her eyes. The orange-toned sky contrasts with the blue-green sea, while her shadow stretches across the sand.
La mañana en que el mundo cambió
Portrait of a woman with long, dark hair, her face slightly tilted and partially concealed by her hair. Her lips shine with vivid fuchsia gloss, while her eyes remain in shadow. Red, green, and magenta lights illuminate different parts of her face, hair, and bare shoulder against an almost black background.
Vampiress
Vertical portrait of a woman with long, dark hair, her head tilted back and her eyes closed. She wears red lipstick and a black garment with thin straps. Her hands rest on her upper chest. Dim greenish light partially illuminates her face, neck, and hands, while much of her figure remains enveloped in shadow against a black background.
Vampire in the shadows
Black-and-white extreme close-up of the lower part of a face. The frame shows the nose, slightly parted lips, and chin, leaving the eyes outside the composition. Strong lighting emphasizes the shine of the lips and the texture of the skin, while deep black shadows accentuate the contours of the face.
BoKa

Artworks & Objects

Shop

A selection of fine art photographs available in limited editions.

Los secretos de Lore

Los secretos de Lore

60 × 40 cm

Limited edition of 5 + 2 artist proofs

US$1,200

Buy in PanamaInternational inquiries
Universe

Universe

60 × 40 cm

Limited edition of 5 + 2 artist proofs

US$1,200

Buy in PanamaInternational inquiries
Ghost

Ghost

30 × 45 cm

Limited edition of 5 + 2 artist proofs

US$650

Buy in PanamaInternational inquiries

Purchases in Panama are processed securely through Cuanto. For international acquisitions, please contact us before purchasing to discuss availability, unframed prints, and shipping costs.

Art Products

Objects and products inspired by my artistic work. A collection currently in development.

Photography for Brands & Creative Projects

Commercial

I create images for brands, campaigns, and projects that require a clear, thoughtful, and cohesive visual identity.

My work encompasses fashion, portrait, product, lifestyle, and editorial photography. I contribute to the visual development of each project, from concept and lighting to image selection and final finishing.

Throughout my career, I have collaborated with advertising agencies, production companies, design studios, and direct clients, working as part of creative teams as well as developing projects independently. Depending on the needs of each production, I can join an existing team or coordinate the professionals required to bring the project to life.

Images shaped by intention, experience, and visual direction.

Journal / Blog

Stories & Ideas

Featured Story

To Dream Again

A story about connection, memory, and those places that may only exist while we dream.

Read Story →

Stories, images, and reflections on the creative process.

Other Publications

Introspective Narratives

Reflections and creative processes.

Process Notes

Ideas, experiences, and notes from my work.