Catarina Osório de Castro
Catarina Osório de Castro
Eclipse
2023
XYZ Books
21,5 x 21,5 cm
First edition
About the Book:
"Between sea, sun and Gods, supernatural movements impose their cyclical and spontaneous orbits, like the heart that beats every second, or the tides that rise and fall continuously. Under the moon, the lights turn on and off, unquiet nature covers and uncovers, playing with man, announcing that something is going to be revealed."
- Catarina Osório de Castro
Image courtesy of the publisher
Book review by Sage Helene |
In Eclipse, Catarina Osorio de Castro’s photographs merge nature, light, and human emotion to capture the invisible forces that shape our world. “Photography started growing inside of me,” she explains, speaking to the evolving role of photography in her life, where her passion for capturing light and color emerged from within.
The photographs in Eclipse evoke the powerful essence of nature. Lush green leaves soak in sunlight, while tides, crashing waves, and rippling streams constantly shift, influenced by the moon, especially during an eclipse. The book pulses with energy, drawing the viewer into a mesmerizing interplay of light and natural elements. As readers turn the pages, they feel connected to the movement of the ocean and are captivated by triptychs of golden light that seem to expand beyond the images themselves.
Nature is an untamable force, often seen as a reflection of the divine. Catarina captures fleeting, spontaneous moments—like footprints washed away by the current or the shadow on a man’s face, where the last glow of sunset forms a crescent outline. These images remind us of the tension between what is momentarily visible and what our eyes cannot see.
Image courtesy of the publisher
Catarina’s images provoke deep questions about what is hidden and what is revealed, inviting viewers to explore the mysteries that surround us. These unseen forces, which constantly orbit our lives, shape the way we move through the world. For Catarina, there is a powerful energy that connects all living things, an invisible thread binding nature, humanity, and the universe. This energy is the heartbeat of her work, something she strives to capture in each photograph.
By including portraits alongside her depictions of nature, Catarina emphasizes the mirrored relationship between humans and the natural world. The faces she photographs seem to reflect what we witness in the landscapes around us—the ebb and flow of the tides, the cycles of light and shadow. These portraits are not just of individuals; they are symbolic of humanity’s shared connection with the earth and its elements.
In her work, we begin to see nature not just as something external, but as something that exists within us. The rhythms of the ocean mirror our heartbeat, the changing streams reflect our shifting emotions, and the existence of divinity is echoed in our bodies and minds. These connections lead us to profound questions about our place in the universe: What is our relationship to the cosmos? How are we linked to the celestial forces that shape our world? Eclipse encourages us to confront these existential questions, inviting contemplation of the unseen energies that govern both nature and human experience. Through her images, Catarina reveals that we are not separate from the natural world but are intrinsically tied to its rhythms and mysteries.
Image courtesy of the publisher
Osorio de Castro explores human connection with the self—our emotions, fragility, and the uncertainties of existence. Her portraits are deeply personal, representing both her close relationships and the universal questions about our place in this world and beyond.
Flipping through Osorio de Castro’s book is like listening to a symphony. “Opera,” Osorio de Castro recalls, “I was listening to a lot of and it would help me to construct the book–the highs and the lows.”The crescendo of water, the flute humming through the wind in the trees, the drumming of a human heartbeat. There are catastrophic, explosive sounds, and then we find peace. This transmission of nature reflects in our emotions. Like the ebbs and flows of nature, we also sway along with the enigmatic presence of the moon.
Osorio de Castro’s mystifying book pauses on these moments of the divine. The energy that orbits around us, often unseen, is reflected in her photographs—in trees, sand, water, and the God that glows within us. We are all part of the same energy, captured beautifully in Eclipse.
Image courtesy of the publisher
