Cara Romero: Native American Photography
January 7 – March 28, 2019
“I am deeply committed to making work that addresses Native American social issues and changes the way people perceive Native Americans in contemporary society. ”
- Cara Romero
This exhibition presents, for the first time, the work from fine-art photographer Cara Romero, who is of Chemehuevi and German-Irish descent. She was born in Inglewood, Californian in 1977 and raised on the Chemehuevi Valley Indian Reservation located next to the California shoreline of Havasu Lake. Romero’s contemporary work reflects her training in film, fine art, digital media, journalism, editorial portrait, and commercial photography, which she received from the University of Houston.
Romero draws inspiration from her Chemhuevi heritage where she addresses their indigenous heritage as well as the political, environmental issues and their impact upon the identity of Native Americans in today’s society. However, she also gains inspiration from those she photographs as her portraits strive to reflect their individual personalities. Romero’s work challenges the viewer to question his or her perception of Native Americans in contemporary society.
Since 2007, Romero has participated in major art markets, such as the Santa Fe Indian Market and the Heard Indian Market in Phoenix, where she has won several first-place awards for her photography. Her work is being collected internationally by major museums, such as the Autry Museum in Los Angeles, Californian, the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C., and the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery in England. In addition, she has recently been featured in the December 2018 issue of the National Geographic Magazine.