The blend of spirituality, nature and expression in vibrant photos by Victoria Ruiz – Huge
“For me, clothing has always been a part of everything,” said Victoria Ruiz, a photographer and multidisciplinary artist. “Culturally, I grew up in Venezuela and saw clothing different from everyday life, but something deeply embedded in it, especially through the lens of carnival. The carnival is in our blood. It’s not just a festival; it’s a way to express history, resistance, joy and sorrow, and you wear a story at the end of the day.
In the compelling, saturated imagery, Ruiz’s fascination with nature, dance, spirituality and African scattered religions. The artist cites the belief systems of America, such as Santería-Ifá, Candomblé, Umbanda and Espiritismo, and explores the historical and cultural resonance of religion, a model of resistance and adaptation. In a statement, she said these beliefs often “integrate African spiritual traditions with indigenous and colonial influences.”
Ruiz is currently based in London, drawing on her childhood experiences in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, where she and her family encounter nuanced ancestral practices and urgent political violence. “I grew up surrounded by characters, some people’s traditions, some from disturbing scenes like military or police repression,” the artist told The Giant. She continued:
I realized very early on that uniforms are clothing. The clothes people wear at the moment of violence or protest create powerful symbols. It’s a dark carnival. I’m very curious about what these clothes mean and how they inspire fear, strength, or solidarity.
In her series Para Tú Altar: Las Fuerzas Divinas de la Naturalezatransformed into For Your Altar: The Divine Power of NatureRuiz attracted Cuban Salsa artist Celia Cruz’s seminal music album, which incorporated Santería music into one of her early albums. para map Reference Cruz’s song about different types of flowers used to respect the divinity of nature.
At that time, African diaspora religions such as Santería, Yoruba traditions, Catholicism and spiritualism were merged, and were largely hidden due to widespread prejudice and marginalization. Ruiz added: “It can be said that Celia didn’t really understand what she was doing at the time being transcendent to Cuba’s musical culture and religion itself.”
Music and performance are the core purpose of Ruiz’s work. As a kid, she started learning ballet, flamenco and contemporary dance, but her practice elements were truly gel-free only when she moved to London and started working with dancers. “Seeing them embodying costumes – activating them with movement and intention – shifted my entire practice,” she said. “It became a way to keep the work alive and create immersive, emotional storytelling.”
Ruiz works with a variety of fabrics and materials such as artificial flowers and other props based on the theme of the series. She often rethinks clothing to emphasize sustainability. “Every costume and every image are a sacred portal; it’s a visual product, a spiritual call,” Ruiz said. “They are my own explanations of how these forces shape and protect me. I’m still on that journey, and the work is a feeling of gratitude, a love letter to those invisible forces that bring me.”
The artist is currently making a series of protective masks, drawing on the creativity of handmade masks Ruiz used in protests witnessed by Caracas. “At some point, gas masks were actually banned from entering the country, so people responded with creativity and survival instincts, from water bottles, cardboard, and even stuffed animals to make masks,” she said. “I found it so powerful: this creativity in the face of danger – which requires resistance and survival through manufacturing.”
See more information on the artist’s website and on Instagram.
