Sissy Reyes
Filmmaker | Artist
Growing up in a country like Mexico had a great impact on the way I learned to see the world. From a very young age I became very aware of the tension between class and ethnicity, all laced with a heavy dose of chauvinism and socially defined gender roles. Consequentially, questioning these aspects of my culture has become a main informant of my practice. It became very clear to me that perception and reality were two very different things, I became fascinated by what lay within the tension between extremes bound to collide. - the grey area where different narratives exist. Elements of transition, ambiguity combined with the ephemeral quality of our lives which makes the telling of our stories so much more precious.
Through storytelling we explain our past,
it is also how we attempt to understand our future.
In storytelling we create the myths of our existence and the narratives that define our identities. The more diverse our stories are, the better we are able to understand our differences but also our similarities.
I pursued my passion for storytelling through photography while completing a BA in Communication Sciences, during which I also focused on cultural studies, through which I learned to de-construct the dominant narratives that form our points of view and define our identities as societies. After university I traveled around many countries in Europe and Asia before deciding to come to Australia in 2007 where I studied a Master of Media Arts and Production at Sydney's UTS. I then decided to stay in Australia and so the long and challenging process of moving one's life to another place began, exploring the possibilities and limitations of my new identity as a migrant.
All of these elements have continued to inform my practice as a cinematographer, filmmaker and visual artist. I have collaborated with filmmakers and artists from all over the world, exhibiting both in Australia and internationally. My practice is influenced by cinema, mythology, history and different cultures. My work is critical, humorous and existential.
I am interested in creating contemporary alternative narratives of gender, cultural identity and mortality.
I also created the gender consumerism focused art collective Purple Moustacho
with fellow Mexican artist Jorge Mansilla.
www.purplemoustcho.portfoliobox.io
Education
2008 - MA in Media Arts and Production. University of Technology, Sydney.
2006 - BA in Communication Sciences. Universidad de las Américas Puebla, México.
2005 - Film Production Certificate. Centro Universitario de Estudios Cinematograficos (CUEC) Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico.
2004 - Chinese Film Language, workshop. University of Suzhou, China
Solo Exhibitions
2017 - Head On Photo Festival, Sydney
2015 – The Genderator. The Shop Gallery, Sydney.
2013 – Mextli: Mexican Goddesses. Fortyfivedownstairs Gallery, Melbourne.
2013 – Mextl: Mexican Goddesses. Gaffa Gallery, Sydney.
Selected Group Exhibitions
2016 - Photo Place Gallery, Vermont, USA.
2016 - Ballinale Arts Festival, Ballina, NSW.
2016 - Backlash Video Art Exhibition, Zurich.
2016 - Fem Tour Truck, Lisbon, Valencia, Barcelona, Madrid.
2016 - Arts + Literature Lab, OFF THE WALL, Wisconsin, USA.
2016 - Dlux Media, Sydney.
2016 - CICA Museum, Korea.
2016 - Annual Group Show, The Shop Gallery, Sydney.
2015 – Edinburugh Artists Moving Image Festival, Scotland.
2015 – Gestos: Mexican Collective, The Sandpit Gallery, Melbourne.
2015 – Gaffa Team, Beams Arts Festival, Sydney.
2015 – Sync 3, 107 Projects, Sydney.
2014 – Viva Mexico Festival, Immigration Museum, Melbourne.
2014 – Imagining Equality International Museum for Women, San Francisco
2014 - The Future, Dir. Venetia Taylor, Cinematography Sissy Reyes. Down Under Berlin Film Festival, Germany
2013 – Underbelly Arts Festival. Cockatoo Island, Sydney.
2013 – Tropism, Dir. Liron Gilmore, Cinematography Sissy Reyes. Digital Creatures, Melbourne Fringe Festival. Melbourne
2013 – Magdalene Laundries. Spiritous Festival, Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne
2013 - The Future, Dir. Venetia Taylor, Cinematography Sissy Reyes. Phoenix Film Festival, US
2013 - The Future, Dir. Venetia Taylor, Cinematography Sissy Reyes. Portland Oregon Women’s Film Festival, US
2012 - The Future, Dir. Venetia Taylor, Cinematography Sissy Reyes. Flickerfest 2012, Dendy Young at Heart Film, Sydney
2012 - Gavin Dir. Alex Edmonson, Cinematography Sissy Reyes. Cockatoo Island Film festival
2012 - Gavin Dir. Alex Edmonson, Cinematography Sissy Reyes. Costa Rica Film Festival, Costa Rica
2010 – Wait for me, Music by Moby, Genero TV Competition. Online.
2009 – Eve, Dir. Rosa Krell, Cinematography Sissy Reyes. Media Arts Screening, University of Technology, Sydney
2009 – Papers, Producer, Paul Brenner, Cinematography Sissy Reyes. Media Arts Screening, University of Technology, Sydney
2009 – The Final Ingredient, Dir. Jorge Mansilla, Cinematography Sissy Reyes. Media Arts Screening, University of Technology, Sydney
2009 - Australis Dir. Shahn Devendran, Cinematography Sissy Reyes. Newtown Flick Fest, Sydney
2008 - Santiago Dir. Shahn Devendran, Cinematography/writer Sissy Reyes. Newtown Flick Fest, Sydney
Grants, Residencies and Awards
2018 Drew Llewelyn ACS Camerimage Scholarship, Australian Cinematographers Society
2017 National Association for the Visual Arts, NSW Artist Grant. Australia
2016 Ian Potter Cultural Trust Individual Artist Grant. Australia
2016 Arteles Creative Residency Program, Finland
Publications
Whickwire, Kristine "Femininity and Shame - Thouch! Alcachofa", PLease Hold Magazine, St. Louis, MO, USA, 2015
Seranatna, Anita “Mextli: Mexican Goddesses” Arts, Altmedia.net.au, Nov 29, 2013
Sourris Sophia. “Striking Images from independent Mexican women” Spanishaustralia.org, May 213
Perton, Victor. “Mextli: Mexican Goddesses, an interview with the Artists” www.anzmex.org.au, May 2013
Dunsten, Isabel. “Arts Section: This months Best Events” Time Out Melbourne, P. 40, Edition 17, May 2013,
Muñoz, Gabriela. “Mextli: Mexican Goddesses” Weekendnotes.com, 28 Nov 2013
Wilson, Sean; Cooper, Lachlan.“The Shortlist” Life and Style Mgazine, The Age, page 7, May 17, 2013
Levy, Fiona. “Mexican Goddeses” Back Cover, 5 August 2013, UTS Magazine
Backhouse, Megan; Clement, Tracey; Herring, Freya; Rainforth ,Dylan. “The shotrlist” Art Guide P. 39, Edition May1June 2013
Gonzalez Z, José Antonio. “Mextli: Mexican Goddesses” Mextli Catalogue, 7 May 2013
Reyes U, Sissy. ”Discoursing a feminine sexuality in Mexican cinema: A female representation in the film Violet Perfume: No One Is Listening” Honours Thesis 2006. Universidad de las Américas Puebla, Mexico.
Teaching, Lectures, Workshops
2018-Present Film Tutor, Media Arts and Production, University of Technology Sydney
2011-2014 Film Lecturer, SAE Creative Media Institute, Sydney.