“Foto Express A Film Fotography Show” Thanks to Henry, the team, and all the artists and friends that came out for a fun night. If you’re new to Empire Seven Studios, keep in mind we’re doing this 24-7, 365 days a year and you’re encouraged to keep visiting, and exploring the arts here.
Curated in collaboration with our friends Mari & Robbie Lopez was a wonderful welcoming collaboration with friends after two years of traveling abroad and living in Japan. After creating an instagram account for Foto Express and settling back in San Jose, it only felt natural to do an open call for photographers having an opportunity to showcase their work, and meet each in person.
There was no delegation or committee on how to approach the exhibition. It was as organic as home grown veggies in the backyard garden cultivated with love and friendship. Yes, you should talk to your plants and treat them as friends and family. It had been a while since we had time to sit down, have a cup of coffee and catch up on life and work in San Jose with Mari & Robbie.
Empire Seven Studios has scheduled exhibitions for every month in 2026 with the exception of February after a last minute cancellation, a perfect window of opportunity to curate spontaneously. That’s really how it all came to be, a spare moment, friends catching up, and deciding to commit to doing something unique and fun.
Photographers from all walks of life that continue working with film, and supporting Foto Express whether it’s film development, printing services, passport photos, film, guidance and or knowledge from Henry and the wonderful Foto Express team. Over one hundred submissions within a couple of weeks was an obvious call out that this should be happening.
People who have moved away or continue to live and work in the Bay Area showed up in person during the opening reception for the exhibition and throughout the month friends brought family, and loved ones to see their works hanging on the wall alongside their comrades. A collection of artists showing for the first time, and veterans who have made a career from photography. We felt honored to continue being a space that caters to everything far and between.
Photography has a sweet spot at Empire Seven Studios, thanks to Gallery Director Jennifer Ahn, a SJSU alumni with a BFA in Photography and has been a major influence on me personally on how or what type of photography speaks to me. Street photography amongst the other thrilling experiences of counter culture that incubate the rawness of neighborhood lifestyles.
The truth is that artists have a nerdy essence embedded in their programming, maybe that's changed during these modern social media times. Art was not cool at some point in my life.
We were misfits, dreamers to think we could make a living from art. That may be true considering many artists maintain a 9 to 5 in order to continue pursuing their passions. Some of us are considered “lucky” if we get to do art full time; luck is far from reality, the struggle is real as it is never-ending.
What made this exhibition special was the fact that it was Super Bowl weekend and film nerds came out in the hundreds to take photos, geek out with friends, and that was super rad to see. The images in the show did not disappoint, the variety of culture, travel, lifestyles, and what people capture through the lens was a breath of fresh air and did not disappoint. Having these conversations are important to amplify and encourage one another in terms of what makes photography good, and a well made photo speaks a thousand words.
