Juan Brenner | Photography Books
Juan Brenner is a Guatemalan self-taught photographer whose work explores identity, territory, cultural hybridization and the complex social structures of contemporary Guatemala. After more than a decade working as a fashion photographer in New York, Brenner returned to his native Guatemala, where he began developing a deeply personal photographic practice rooted in the people and landscapes of the country’s Western Highlands.
Based in Guatemala City, Brenner uses photography to examine the relationship between people, history and territory. His images move between documentary photography, portraiture and contemporary visual culture, often revealing the tensions surrounding identity, power, inequality and the lasting effects of colonial history.
His first monograph, Tonatiuh, was published by Editorial RM in 2020. The book was shortlisted for the 2019 Paris Photo–Aperture Foundation First PhotoBook Award, while the project also received the 2019 LensCulture Emerging Talent Award.
Tonatiuh presents an in-depth visual study of contemporary Guatemalan society through the perspective of mestizaje and the consequences of the Spanish conquest. For the project, Brenner travelled through more than 50 towns across Guatemala, following the route associated with Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado. The resulting photographs create a complex portrait of modern Guatemala, bringing together questions of history, violence, migration, gender and social inequality.
Brenner's photographic work has been published internationally in magazines and platforms including Aperture, British Journal of Photography, Le Monde, VICE, Dazed, i-D Magazine, C-41, Fisheye and Metal Magazine. He is also a founding member of Proyectos Ultravioleta in Guatemala City.
At L'Imagerie, we select and offer photography books and collectible editions by Juan Brenner for collectors, photographers, artists and anyone interested in contemporary photographic publishing. Our selection includes Tonatiuh, first editions and signed copies when available, offering an opportunity to discover Brenner's distinctive vision of Guatemala through the photobook.
Explore our selection of Juan Brenner photography books, discover Tonatiuh and explore the visual world of one of Guatemala's most distinctive contemporary photographers.
Shop Juan Brenner photography books at L'Imagerie.
