Kudos to the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire for mounting the first major solo museum exhibition by a notable Indigenous artist.
The exhibition, “Cara Romero: Panûpünüwügai: Living Light,” tells stunning visual stories of Indigenous people in ways that convey the allure, strength and complexity of contemporary Native life. “I am deeply committed to making work that addresses Native American social issues and changes the way people perceive us in contemporary society,” the noted photographer said. Her images are both serious and playful as she explores such issues as the border wall, the hyper-sexualization of Native women in photography, the environmental destruction of Native lands and stereotypes of Indigeneity in pop culture.
“As an Indigenous photographer, I embrace photography as a tool to resist Eurocentric narratives and as a means for opening audiences’ perspectives to the fascinating diversity of living Indigenous peoples,” Romero said. The diversity of her work is a testament to her photographic skills as well as her embrace of her heritage and gift for visual storytelling. Her work fuses time-honored and culturally specific symbols with 21st century ideas, a strategy that reinforces the ways Indigenous peoples exist in contemporary life while affirming an Indigenous culture that is continually evolving.
Portraying Indigenous history and culture in a contemporary and social justice context, Romero reveals the growth and evolution inherent in evolving generations. She achieves her objectives by using vibrant color, experimental lighting and photo-illustration to explore ideas about the supernatural world as it overlaps with the everyday lives of Indigenous peoples. It’s a unique way to help viewers realize the resilience and beauty of Indigenous communities and their thriving cultures.