Gonzalo Contreras Del Solar

Gonzalo Contreras del Solar has been dedicated to the art of water photography since 1977, creating large-format works that capture water’s ever-changing forms, colors, and textures. His photographs have been exhibited internationally and collected by private clients, corporate collections, and institutions.
Having traveled to over 40 countries across three continents, Gonzalo documents water in all its manifestations — from glacial landscapes and mountain waterfalls to coastal reflections and abstract surface patterns. His compositions, often exceeding 100 cm in size, invite viewers to experience water as both a universal element and a deeply personal subject.

Technically, Gonzalo’s work merges the chromatic influence of Vincent van Gogh, the tonal mastery of Ansel Adams, and his own innovative use of modern digital tools. While he continues to photograph in medium format film, his current practice employs 60+ megapixel digital cameras to produce highly detailed fine art prints. All works are printed in his Chilean studio on archival Hahnemühle papers, with select pieces produced in New York in silver gelatin and color processes for the U.S. market.

For Gonzalo, water is more than a subject — it is a living muse. Each image is b...

Instituto Technológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey - Mexico

Gonzalo Contreras del Solar has presented his work in solo and group exhibitions across Latin America, North America, and Europe since the 1980s, with a sustained focus on water as a central visual and conceptual subject.

Solo Exhibitions

1996 — Water
Instituto Chileno Norteamericano, Santiago, Chile

2001 — It’s Only Water
Corporación Cultural de Las Condes, Santiago, Chile

2003 — Water As-Is
Corporación Cultural de Las Condes, Santiago, Chile

2004 — Nearby Waters
FotoAmérica, Mall Plaza Oeste, Santiago, Chile

2004 — Waters of the World
FotoAmérica, Edificio Huidobro, Santiago, Chile

2006 — Waters of the World in Blue
Icebox Gallery, Miami, USA

2006 — Sabattier Revisited
Corporación Cultural de Las Condes, Santiago, Chile

2006 — Waters of the World 2
ArsLatino, Santiago, Chile

2006 — The Water
FotoAmérica, Museo Rancagua, Chile

2008 — I’m Water
Galería Isabel Aninat, Santiago, Chile

2008 — De l’Aigua (with poems by Gonzalo Rojas)
Museu Agbar, Barcelona, Spain

2016 — Del Agua (with poems by Gonzalo Rojas)
Corporación Cultural El Tranque, Santiago, Chile

Group Exhibitions (Selected)

1984 — Water
Goethe Institut, La Paz, Bolivia

2004 — My Beach
Galería M2, Santiago, Chile

2004 — Digital Photography
Inter-American Deve...