Like other kids, as a child I was part school, part summer. Part Christmas, too.
I was born in Madrid, Spain, the only child of a teacher and a civil servant.
Life was little. Life was quiet. My parents loved books.
Books were my first companions. I read beyond my age. At 12, I gave a school talk on the Ebola virus. My curiosity knew no limits.
In 2001, during my first-year History of Architecture class, news came of the Twin Towers’ destruction. Our teacher cried. Only later did I learn that the towers' architect, Minoru Yamasaki, had vertigo—a fear that led him to reinforce the structure, saving lives.
Offered a scholarship to Delft, I chose Paris instead, to learn French and explore being alive beyond architecture. That decision gave me a third language and new partners for life.
In Paris, I fell in love, made friends, and discovered photography. Self-taught, I spent hours shooting and editing. I printed albums when print was fading.
Back in Madrid, I earned my Architecture degree but rejected a corporate job. Instead, I pursued photography. At 27, Jean Paul Gaultier became my first client. More designers followed, along with editorial work and travel.
At 30, I fell in love with Hong Kong—its streets, people, and neon signs. I returned often and created a photo project about the city's disappearing lights, guided by a mentor and supported by friends. Thanks, Wing.
At 34, I started photographing queer nightlife. I worked for modest fees but found creative freedom. Marched over heartbreak at a new party called Tragedy and found my voice. That voice became @generationXXY, and brought exhibitions in Paris, Hong Kong, and Madrid.
In 2020, lockdowns halted work. I stayed afloat by selling prints in a solidarity sale. Generous souls supported my art and others.
Photography gave me a new language. Trained as an architect, I work with rigor; with the camera, I connect through feeling. The best validation comes from within.
Death is the end. I know I will die. Not tonight, but someday. So will everyone I know. Even you, reader. Yet there is no need to live in fear. This too shall pass. My work, will it perdure?
Look at my photos.
You'll see a heart, and maybe a soul!
Did you hear the camera click?
It was just a moment!
Forever.
Rainer Torrado Amo is an artist. Born in Madrid, he has lived in Paris, Rome, and Hong Kong. He now lives and works in Porto.