Artist Statement

My art is a tribute to the beautifully complex and contradictory nature of human existence, including my own. I find inspiration in the subtle poetry of everyday life, a fleeting glance, the texture of a city street, the movement of clouds. Quiet details become the foundation for layered narratives that explore the tension between light and shadow, certainty and doubt. Working between photography and painting, I blur the line between observation and interpretation, transforming familiar moments into reflections on the human experience.

Art, for me, is an ongoing journey of discovery—a way to translate personal truths into universal emotions. Guided by authenticity, I seek to create works that go beyond the visual, offering meditations on fragility, resilience, and the beauty found in contradictions.

Bio

Ileana,originally from Mexico City, is a professional in graphic communication and advertising. She completed her studies in San Diego, California, and upon returning to Mexico City, she began her professional career as a copywriter, graphic designer, and creative director at various advertising agencies. Painting and photography, which had always been a strong artistic inclination in her, soon became her true calling.

Ileana embarked on a path of exploration, delving into painting techniques and skillfully merging her abilities in photography and computer graphics to develop a unique visual expression. Today, she is an independent visual artist and photographer. Her artistic work has been internationally recognized, receiving awards from prestigious organizations such as the Mobile Photo Awards, Mobile Camera Club,Gala Awards (Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Women Photographers), Tokyo International Foto Awards, MIRA Mobile Prize, Mobiography Awards, Mobgraphia Cultura Visual, and Prix de la Photographie Paris, Art Icon and Paris International Street Photography Awards.

Her work has been presented in important artistic venues across Europe, including France, England, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Hungary; in Asia, with exhibitions in Japan, South Korea, and Turkey; and in the Americas, spanning the UnitedStates, Brazil, and Argentina. In 2017, Ileana presented her first solo exhibition, "Fragments of Light," in Mexico City, marking a significant milestone in her artistic journey. She has also been featured in and collaborated with influential blogs focused on art and mobile photography. In 2022, Ileana published her first book, titled "L'ego meurtri. Hommage à Gilbert Garcin."

Through her art, Ileana strives to evoke profound sensations. Her creations are a fusion of interwoven images and narratives, imbued with her own emotions and feelings. In her creative process, she transmutes ordinary experiences into unique visions, creating works that establish connections and touch the depths of our shared humanity.

Ileana's work has been featured in relevant international photography publications such as  Better Photography. A World Of Her Own: Ileana Montaño's Poetic Depiction Of The Beauty and Fragility Of Human Psyche. January, 2021, One Twelve Publishing: 15 Years Ago Today…the day that changed how we do, uhm…everything by Diana Nicholette Jeon. January 2022, Mobiography No. 64 October 2022, Edge Of Humanity - A City In Black & White: Where Geometry Meets Humanity, September 2025.