She Drives / She Surfs - Juanita Richards

She Drives / She Surfs is Juanita Richards’ debut photo book, bringing together two powerful Caribbean subcultures in a single body of work. Created from a desire to show Caribbean women beyond familiar stereotypes, the book celebrates the rich worlds, energy, and spirit found across the region. It explores the lives of women claiming space in motion, in water, and in community, and asks us to look again at who gets to be seen, celebrated, and heard.

From Jamaica to the Cayman Islands, from racetracks to open water, this work follows women taking up space with purpose and pride. She Drives follows drivers and vinyl car wrappers who are reshaping island car culture with confidence and creativity. She Surfs is rooted in escapism and shared strength, showing women building community where generations teach each other and the water becomes a place of safety, learning, and joy.

Together these stories form a tribute to sisterhood, resilience, and unapologetic self-expression. A vivid portrait of Caribbean women moving with power, presence, and freedom.

Images from the photo book were selected as finalists for the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize, displayed at the National Portrait Gallery.
Juanita Richards is an artist who moves with the natural rhythm of human beats, creating work grounded in intuition, empathy, and connection. Her practice is built on collaboration and trust, forming close relationships with the people she photographs and capturing their worlds with honesty and care. Influenced by her culturally rich upbringing and experiences across diverse communities, she is drawn to subcultures and stories that exist outside the mainstream.

She builds immersive, character-led worlds that reflect and respect her subjects, balancing documentary truth with cinematic sensitivity. Her work is about empathy, connection, and crafting images that hold truth and beauty at the same time. She looks for emotion, light, and unguarded gestures, creating images that feel real, elevated, and deeply human. Every frame is an invitation into a world shaped by the people who live it and the stories they choose to share.

Juanita Richards, 2025
Limited edition of 200 copies, each signed and numbered
Gold and green foil cover with hand-stitched spine 
435 x 305mm