What is the significance of the title of your piece, Porfiria? The title of this piece is my mother’s name. Which is quite unique in itself.

Why did you pick photography as your medium? I picked photography as my medium for this exhibition specifically because this image is a part of a larger ongoing body of work. This work began after taking a photography workshop led by Lua Ribeira and Bieke Depoorter, two Magnum photographers. I was assigned my mother as the subject of my work and I’ve been working on and off on this project since. In this work, the images are accompanied by my thoughts in writing. When I learned about the theme of the show I considered other mediums but this work specifically stood out to me as it already narrates my mother’s and I’s relationship. In my artist statement I spoke about feeling at home in my mother’s presence and it only made sense to feature a piece of this work. 

You mention seeing the beauty of your mother aging. Do you look at her smile lines as a testament to her joy over her life? Aging is something that has been difficult for me to understand and something that I am learning to appreciate. My mother has always been a beautiful woman and I think there is a huge relationship between woman, their appearance, and value. Especially in Latin American cultures. Growing up I specifically remember my mother being complimented on her beauty and how youthful she looked and I’ve always felt a sense of pride in hearing and receiving those compliments from strangers. Watching my mother age has been difficult for me. In part because of my own fear of death. But also because I’ve lost a version of my mother I grew to love physically. I can tell as time has gone by and her appearance has changed there’s been a huge shift in her confidence. So it’s difficult seeming that change in people, especially in those you love. And so I’ve learned to love my mother beyond her physical appearance and the familiarity of it, I love my mother for the way she loves me. Even the tough love. I love her strength, her independence, and resilience. I’m hoping she is able to see these qualities in herself and in these images as they are being made. Physically the lines tell a story of their own and they help me appreciate her and our relationship even more. 

What emotions do you want to convey in this piece? I would say I want to convey a sense of pride and safety. Much like the Statue of Liberty represented opportunity and freedom to the immigrants who arrived here by sea. The image is a mirror to monuments, and the composition of the image itself with the subject being juxtaposed against the large blue sky gives the illusion of the subject being larger than life.

What does your mother mean to you, and did it affect your perspective of being Latino? What about living in the South, has that affected your perspective? My mother means the word to me. But I also feel conflicted about certain aspects of our relationship. I know I am not a perfect person and I know now that I can not expect her to be or have been the perfect mother. I look at her and I think about the trauma and experiences she’s lived through and it helps me understand why she is the person she is. I hold resentment towards some of her actions and decisions but as an adult I’m able to understand the why of them. I’m not excusing the negative parts of our relationship but I am learning to look beyond the surface and that’s helped us become closer in a way. This project, and the act of photographing her has helped me learn a lot about my mother and myself as well. My mother is very traditional in many ways but at the same time we as a family are far from the traditional Mexican family. Geography has played a big part of course. It’s been twenty two years since we left Mexico and so there are a lot of things that are unlearned and forgotten. You have to learn to be a brand new person in order to function in a whole new world with a brand new set of rules it seems like. Speaking for myself specifically it has been very difficult. I’ve gone through a huge identity crisis thought the years and still struggle to this day to find a place or people I feel 100% identified with. On the other hand, this has helped me make connections with a wider range of people as I’ve navigated relationships with those whom live lives much different than my own. My mother has always been the person I come back to for safety. I feel there is much more I could’ve learned from her about our culture and traditions, but a big part of my life was spent trying to assimilate to the American life and traditions. Today, I am still learning and unlearning and so it’s kind of a reversed experience.

Your piece is a thank you to your mother. Are there any other people you wish to thank? For this work specifically I would thank Jérôme De Perlinghi who has been a mentor to me and has pushed me to explore my love for photography. But also for the opportunity to take the Magnum Photography workshop through Eyes on Main Street. An experience that frankly changed my life. I would also thank Lua and Bieke for their invaluable teachings.

Does the prospect of aging excite or scare you?Aging itself does not scare me, I love the prospect of learning and living a full life. Death is what scares me. But at the same time there is something beautiful about the impermanence of life.