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: Diana Solís Headshot Profile image by: Maira Ochoa
Portrait of Diana Solís
Photo by Maira Ochoa
Featured Artworks
Selva, Trans activist and Educator, Chicago 2025
From the series Kinship and Chosen Family, Selva, 2025
Photo by Diana Solís
Portrait of Selva with hands on their belt leaning against a desk.
Portrait of Artist Laura Kina and her child Midori Aronson, Chicago 2025
From the series on kinship and chosen Family, Mother and Daughter, Chicago 2025
Photo by Diana Solís
Black and White Portrait of mother and daughter looking straight into the camera
Julián, Chicago 2023
From the series on Kinship and Chosen Family
Photo by Diana Solis
Young man reclining next to a statuette on a couch
Hageo and Miguel, McKinley Park, Chicago 2024
From the series on kinship and chosen family
Photo by Diana Solís
Two men looking straight at the camera.
Zoctli, Monument Pavilion Rendering, Chicago Monuments Project, Pilsen Latina Legacies
Pilsen Latina Legacies
Borderless Studio
Color Architectual rendering of Proposed Monument, Pilsen Latina Legacies
Luisí, Sarita and Tulio, Queer Siblings, Chicago 2024
From the series on kinship and chosen family
Photo by Diana Solís
Three Siblings looking at the camera
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