Cara Romero facts for kids

Cara Romero (born 1977) is an American photographer. She is famous for her digital photography. Her photos show Native American life in a modern way. Cara lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico and the Mojave Desert. She is a member of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe.

About Cara Romero

Cara Romero was born in Inglewood, California. She grew up on the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe of the Chemehuevi Reservation. Her father is Chemehuevi. Her mother is German-Irish. Cara studied Cultural Anthropology at the University of Houston. She later learned photography at the Institute of American Indian Arts. She also studied commercial photography at Oklahoma State University. Cara is married to Cochiti Pueblo artist, Diego Romero. They have two sons.

Cara was the first leader of the Chemehuevi Cultural Centre. From 2007 to 2010, she was on the Chemehuevi Tribal Council. She also led the Chemehuevi Education Board. And she was the Chairman of the Chemehuevi Early Education Policy Council.

Her Journey to Photography

Growing up, Cara lived a "bicultural" life. She moved between the Chemehuevi Reservation and Houston, Texas. In Houston, she realized many people did not understand what it meant to be Native American.

She studied Cultural Anthropology at the University of Houston. But two classes changed her path. One was a Native American history class. She felt it showed Native people only in the past. Cara realized people needed to see modern Native life. The other class was black and white photography. This class focused on the story in the picture. This sparked her love for photography. She knew it was what she wanted to do.

This led her to the Institute of American Indian Arts in 1999. Then she studied digital photography at Oklahoma State University. She used what she learned to create her unique art.

Her Photography Work

Early in her career, Cara Romero was inspired by photographer Edward Curtis. But she soon felt his style did not show her own experience. She started trying new ways to take photos. She began using digital tools like Photoshop. This allowed her to combine photos and use more color.

Cara's modern work often involves setting up scenes. This creates a theatrical feel. Her photos show many different Native American identities. The Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper says her work is "sometimes playful." It also calls it a "complex look at modern culture." Her photos show a clear modern Native view.

The Water Memory Series

Water Memory is a famous photo from her series Water Memories. Cara took Water Memory in 2015. She says the photo is strong because it can mean many things. It connects to the idea of a great flood. But it also tells a personal story. Cara's tribe was forced from their land by a flood. This happened to create Lake Havasu. She feels the lake is "haunted" by those memories. When she goes into the water, she feels that "water memory."

Water Memory was a big moment for her art. It led to the Smithsonian collecting her work. After this, her art focused on important topics to her. She started photographing female figures. She wanted to change how Native American women were seen. She aimed to break away from old, harmful ways of showing them.

The Bristol Post newspaper called her Water Memories series "breathtaking." It said the photos show the link between people, water, and life. Water Memories was shown in 2016 at the "STILL" exhibition. This was at the Rainmaker Gallery in Bristol.

Cara's work was also in the "CAPTURED" show in 2015. This show had both close-up portraits and fun recreations of famous artworks. Her strong female portraits were featured in a 2017 show. This show was called 'We Are Native Women'. It celebrated the strength of Native American women. Her work was also shown at the British Library in London in 2017.

Other Projects

In 2017, Cara's photo TV Indians was shown. This was at the "Broken Boxes" show in Santa Fe. The Albuquerque Journal called it her "highest production project yet." The photo compares Puebloans with how Native Americans are shown in media.

Cara received a fellowship from the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation in 2017. In 2018, her photos were shown in London. This was part of the 'Life Blood' exhibition. In 2020, Cara received a grant from NDN Collective. She used it to put her photos on billboards in Los Angeles. Cara has also won many awards at art markets.

Her work has also been shown at the Four Winds Gallery in Pittsburgh. And at the Robert Nichols Gallery in Santa Fe. Her art was also part of the Desert X outdoor exhibit in Coachella Valley.

Awards

Public Collections