Diana Solís is a Mexican-born, Chicago-based photographer, multidisciplinary artist, and educator whose practice spans painting, illustration, public murals, and large-scale installations. Her work centers on women, Latinx, LGBTQIA+, and immigrant experiences, blending documentary photography with archival strategies to preserve and elevate stories often excluded from dominant cultural narratives.
Her ongoing visual archive—ranging from Chicago to Mexico City—reflects over four decades of dedication to social justice and community storytelling. Solís views photography as a powerful tool to reclaim collective memory, foster belonging, and imagine more inclusive futures—principles that shape both her creative and educational work.
At the heart of her practice is a commitment to teaching and collaboration. For over forty years, she has worked with youth, immigrant families, and adults, encouraging them to create art from their own perspectives. Solís has taught in diverse settings including community organizations, public schools, museums, and residency programs.
Recent photography projects include a visual essay on kinship and chosen family. Her work will be featured in several upcoming exhibitions, including City in the Garden: Queer Art and Activism in Chicago at the Museum of Contemporary Photography, and a solo exhibition in 2027 at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago.
Profile caption: Image by Colectivomultipolar
Portrait of Diana Solís
Image by Colectivomultipolar
Featured Artworks
Queer Siblings: Tulio, Luisi, and Sarita, 2024
Color photograph
From the series In My House: Kinship and Chosen Family
Mom and Children with Paletas, 2024
Color photograph
From the series In My House: Kinship and Chosen Family, Marquette Park
Mother and Queer Daughter, 2024
Color photograph
From the series In My House: Kinship and Chosen Family
Papucho, 2024
Color photograph
From the series In My House: Kinship and Chosen Family
Selva, Trans Activist and Educator, 2024
Color photograph
From the series In My House: Kinship and Chosen Family
Pilsen Latina Legacies Project
Monument Pavilion rendering courtesy of the artist and Borderless Studio
To be completed in 2028
El Paseo Community Garden, Pilsen Chicago
Pilsen Latina Legacies Project
Monument Pavilion rendering courtesy of the artist and Borderless Studio
To be completed in 2028
El Paseo Community Garden, Pilsen Chicago
Pilsen Latina Legacies: Hoja de Tamal, 2024
Inspiration for Monument Pavilion Structure
Documenting Our Stories, Catrina y sus Mariachis, 2025
Color Photograph
Joel, Documenting our stories, 2025
Black and white Digital Image
Andi and Selva, from the series In My House: Kinship and Chosen Family, 2026
Color Photograph
Honor, Power and Resistance, Intertribal Powwow, Documenting our Stories, 2026
Color Photograph
Alexis and Melissa, Cumbia Sin Fronteras, documenting Queer Lives, 2026
Black and White Digital Image
Portrait of Artist Laura Kina and her child Midori Aronson, 2025
Photo by Diana Solís
From the series On Kinship and Chosen Family
Julián, 2023
From the series On Kinship and Chosen Family
Hageo and Miguel, McKinley Park, 2024
From the series On Kinship and Chosen Family
Diana Solís has crowd-funded a project with 3AP
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- $10,650 raised of $5,000 goal
- 0 Days 0:00:00 LEFT
I am creating a limited-edition artist book that centers on my return to photography and reflects the resilience and complexity of my home community of Pilsen. Through portraits of people and place, this will be an archive of Pilsen’s ever-changing …
Read more about Luz: Seeing the Space Between Us