Gallo Fino by Tony Chirinos
© Tony Chirinos
For seven years, I photographed on the island of San Andrés, Colombia, documenting its people, architecture, and the long-standing practice of cockfighting. My project, Gallo Fino, explores this world through a series of portraits. Photography became my passport into this close-knit community, inspired by my father's stories of pre-revolutionary Cuba and the writings of Gabriel García Márquez. Through photography, I seek a deeper understanding of a cultural practice that remains part of my Hispanic heritage. I invite viewers to encounter these portraits not simply as records of a contested tradition, but as reflections on identity, memory, belonging, and the enduring ties between people, culture, and place.
About the Artist
Image © Cristian Lazzari
Tony Chirinos is a Venezuelan-born documentary-style photographer and artist based in Miami. For more than four decades, his work has explored mortality, fragility, and the quiet tension between life and loss. Shaped by the stories and resilience of his Cuban parents, who rebuilt their lives in the United States after exile, his photographs also reflect a longing for cultural identity and belonging. Through his work, Chirinos searches for traces of remembrance, heritage, and the ways identity is carried across generations.
He holds an MFA from Columbia University and is a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, the South Florida Cultural Consortium Fellowship, and the Callanan Excellence in Teaching Award. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is held in public and private collections. He is also a Professor of Photography at Miami Dade College.
Support
Thank you for your consideration in supporting the Gallos Fino project. As a 501(c)(3) organization, CENTER serves the fiscal sponsor for the project. Contributions are tax-deductible. Please check with your tax advisor. You can support the project in one of the following ways:
1. Send a check to CENTER, PO Box 8372, Santa Fe, NM 87504. Please indicate the Los Gallos project in the note.
2. Distributing funds through Fidelity Charitable Grants. Our EIN is 85-0428041.
3. Pay online through Zelle - programs@visitcenter.org
4. Pay online through PayPal - click here.
If you would like to donate securities or through other methods, please contact Executive Director, Laura Wzorek Pressley at laura@visitcenter.org.
Thank you!