Photographer Spencer Wells turns his lens to Casa Wabi, a Oaxacan creative center dedicated to fostering the exchange of ideas through an open and constructive dialogue between national and international artists.
Large, exposed concrete walls alongside traditional Palapa Roofs create a sense of minimalist comfort, a design intended to invoke a meditative state and allow for free-flowing thought. Wells’ photography captures this essence – showcasing Casa Wabi’s austere configurations beneath the direct Mexican sun, creating a series of photographs that captures the beauty in simplicity.
“The orientation of all the elements gives the relatively simple material, concrete, a vastly different meaning than its ubiquity typically allows.”
Casa Wabi is essentially a blank canvas for light – the clean lines and neutral color can give the impression of an unbroken plane when the sun is high, but deep shadows begin to take shape as the intense light arcs over the pacific ocean to the west. The uninterrupted view from the beach allows the sunset to paint the walls gradient of gold, orange and red every afternoon as the light fades.
