Your homegirls are the ones you’d do anything for; your ride or dies. They’re the girls that you share your secrets, your makeup, your clothes, and your good times with. Photographer Valerie J. Bower’s newest series “Homegirls,” explores this familial and unifying sisterhood through intimate portraits of three friends, Canela, Morena, and Luna.
Bower initially met and spoke with Canela, about taking her portrait. The day that the two of them were going to do the shoot, Canela brought her homegirls to shoot as well, Morena and Luna, who are also sisters. Bower met the three girls on a Friday at Roosevelt Park in Los Angeles, right at the Florence Station stop off the Metro Blue Line. All three girls were immediately so beautiful, inside and out, to Bower.
“What was intended to be a straight forward portrait session with the girls, turned into a series with deeper meaning to me,” says Bower. “They shared make up, did each other’s hair, bought ice cream, laughed, and danced to music playing through a bluetooth speaker. I decided to make this series of photos about not only their beauty, but their friendship and connection to each other. I set out to capture this young girlhood.”
Bower’s new series will be hosted at Grab Bag Studio in Long Beach on Saturday, July 1st. “Homegirls” is a solo exhibition and reveals Bowers’ intimate perspective about love, beauty, friendship amongst women, and sisterhood. Bower will also be releasing her first ever book entitled Homegirls, and a limited edition pin.
Catch the opening of “Homegirls” at Grab Bag Studio — 2626 E. 10th St. Long Beach, California, CA 90804 — this Saturday from 7-10pm.
