Carnival is an ongoing photographic project magnifying the craftsmanship, creativity, identity, and spirit of Caribbean and Latin-American rooted carnivals. The project began in 2019 during Rotterdam Unlimited Zomercarnaval and focuses on looking beyond the spectacle to honour the people, labour, and cultural expression embedded within the costumes. The project currently consists of two chapters: Details and Spirits.
Carnival • Details focuses on the intricate craftsmanship of the costumes; textures, colours, and constructions that can easily be overlooked within the energy of carnival. By photographing these elements up close, the work magnifies the artistry and labour behind each creation, while reflecting on the cultural histories and identities they carry.
Carnival • Spirits shifts the focus from stillness to movement. Here, the costumes are captured in full motion and in their most abundant expression. Activated by the body, they expand, transform, and become living forces of colour, energy, and freedom. The movement reveals another dimension of the craftsmanship: the love and labour embedded within the costumes come alive through the people who wear them.
Together, the two chapters explore carnival through its smallest details and its fullest expression—honouring both the hands that create it and the spirits that bring it to life. Tarona has long been drawn to the brightness, abundance, and bold expressiveness found in Caribbean and Latin-American carnival. For her, it is more than spectacle—it is a deep connection to inner spirit, heritage, and freedom. Carnival grants permission to embrace excess, defy convention, and challenge societal norms. Through this lens, the work invites viewers to look closer, uncover hidden layers, and reimagine how carnival can be experienced, appreciated and understood.
2025 Walk On By, TENT, Group, Rotterdam, NL
2024 Walk On By, Creative Alliance, Group, Baltimore, MA, USA
2024 40 Jaar Zomercarnaval, Kunsthal, Group, Rotterdam, NL
COLLECTIONS
Hogeschool Rotterdam