Javier Piñero

Javier Enrique is a Boricua interdisciplinary artist, journalist, and writer. His work explores cultural amnesia and reflective narratives about religious fanaticism, machismo, and colonial culture. He received his master's degree in Public Relations from NYU.

Javier began his documentary work in 2016 as a United States Marine Corps unit photographer, documenting Nato exercises throughout the American, Asian, and European continents. As a freelance documentary photographer and writer, Javier has worked with the BBC, Princeton University, and El Nuevo Día, among others, focusing on topics like food autonomy, cultural trauma, and traditional/native art techniques. His recent photo essay, Survived by Few, was Smithsonian Magazine's June 2023 issue cover story.

In 2021, Javier became interested in self-portraiture and installation, balancing objects and narrative. In his ongoing project, La Jaula, he's been utilizing elements symbolic of Christianity to create altars and objects that question their connection to holiness and divinity and how they affect/influence perspectives on self-liberation and social dynamics.

Javier is a 2023 artist-in-residence at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council's Arts Center Residency, Review Santa Fe 2023 alum, and columnist at Puerto Rico's El Aldoquín Times. In November 2023, Javier held his debut solo exhibition at Puerto Rico's National Library and Archive. His work has been exhibited in Puerto Rico, New York, New Jersey, and D.C. and in online publications.