Filmmaker and photographer Jazmin Garcia presents Flor de Jamaica, the second publication under Somesuch Editions. Reflecting twinned motifs of flowers and women, beauty and justice, Flor de Jamaica holds an intimate montage of striking yet tender images as introduced by letters between Garcia and close collaborator and designer, Symrin Chalwa.

“My lens is always seeking, perhaps being summoned by flowers, because they affirm intuitive guidance towards soul repair. Flowers are my ofrendas to this thought.” Jazmin Garcia

Flowers are deeply rooted in Jazmin’s life. Her name is a flower, as are those of her mother, grandmother and sister. Garcia, who is of Mexican-Guatemalan heritage, titled Flor de Jamaica after the tea made from the sepal of the Hibiscus Roselle flower, ubiquitous in Latin America. The drink became ritualistic for Garcia during screenwriting sessions in Guatemala. Now, a fragment of a film in the guise of a mystic script lies at the heart of this book.

Throughout Flor de Jamaica’s imagery, two female characters recur. Captivated by the beauty of their age and style, Garcia frequently shoots older, street-cast women. Apolinaria Díaz Olivares, who graces the book’s cover, has been captured by Garcia many times. The second woman featured multiple times – including as a mermaid and knight – is Frida Sérbulo, a friend and muse, also prevalent in Garcia’s film work. Depicting brown women as protagonists in resistance to beauty standards is deeply important to Garcia. Thus the photographs in Flor de Jamaica serve as conduits into narratives about empowered women navigating their own lives.