Joshua Vela

Joshua is a visual artist from the Galápagos Islands. He grew up on the island of Santa Cruz, where he developed a strong connection with the natural world that surrounded him and where he learned the importance of sustainability and conservation.

In 2008, he left the islands to pursue his passion: art. He graduated from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador with a bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts. He has had 16 solo and collective art exhibitions. His thesis artwork, which combined art with philosophy and technology, earned him several local and international recognitions.

In July 2018, he became part of the Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic family as a Video Chronicler. Nowadays, he spends half the year aboard and works as a consultant to nonprofits such as the Charles Darwin Research Station or Galápagos Conservancy for the rest of the year. He has also worked with natural history units such as the latest BBC Earth production, “Eden: Untamed Planet.”

In the future, Joshua would like to open an art residency in the Galápagos, where writers, artists, musicians, photographers, and filmmakers from all over the world can create and get inspired in these pristine and extraordinary islands.