Artist Highlight: Woosler Delisfort
Photo by Pedro Wazzan.
Meet Woosler Delisfort, a resident artist whose practice employs documentary photography and filmmaking to capture the essence of heritage and community. Delisfort’s work is grounded in a form of storytelling that weaves intimate moments together and illuminates the subtle realities of our world. Through his practice, he considers the socio-cultural landscapes of Little Haiti in Miami, the Caribbean, and West Africa, where he continues to examine the complexities of spirituality and communal ceremonies.
Woosler's latest work, SANCTUARY: Our Sacred Place, on view at HistoryMiami through January 26, 2025, explores the spiritual origins of Miami’s Indigenous, African, and Caribbean communities by capturing moments of divine connection in temples, churches, and mosques.
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Can you tell us about your artistic practice?
I am a documentary photographer and filmmaker, passionate about representing my community’s humanity and joy. I started documenting Little Haiti over a decade ago, telling the stories that had been too often overlooked. I sought to understand the layers that sensationalized my neighborhood and offer others a viewpoint that was more authentic and exclusive.
My search led me to temples, mosques, churches, and many other sacred spaces that ultimately became the center of my work and subject of my current exhibition SANCTUARY: Our Sacred Place at the HistoryMiami Museum. As a photographer, it’s important to gain the respect and trust of any group I document. Often, this requires leaving the camera behind so I can remain fully present in these spaces and engaged with the people from whom I seek to learn.
Tell us about a personal artistic project or body of work that you are currently excited about.
Right now, I’m most enthused about my photo exhibition at the HistoryMiami Museum, which will be on view through January 2025. The exhibition is a culmination of my work as the Museum’s first ever Center for Photography Fellow. The work in this exhibition delves into Miami’s many spiritual ecosystems, specifically those practiced by African descendants and Indigenous peoples.
The exhibition consists of nine photo essays, including: “Remembrance,” “Rhythms of the Sermon,” “Moon and Star,” “Holy Water,” “Moon and Star,” “Holy Week,” and “As We Pray”. These photo essays hold over 100 images demonstrating how cultures and spirituality come together, creating sacred spaces for communal gathering, education, civic engagement, spiritual connection, healing, and so much more. I hope people will see themselves and their values represented in this exhibition, and understand that these practices have much more in common with one another than the dogma that may separate them.
Tell us about how you have developed as an artist since you began working at Bakehouse.
Since arriving at Bakehouse, I’ve produced my first major museum show and largest body of work to date. I’ve had the opportunity to travel internationally and be inspired by the robust world of art. I’ve enjoyed collaborating with other resident artists and grown from the various professional opportunities and support offered by Bakehouse.