Cara Romero: Panûpünüwügai (Living Light)

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

Born in Inglewood, California in 1977, Cara Romero is known for dramatic fine art photography that examines Indigenous life in contemporary contexts. An enrolled citizen of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, Romero was raised between contrasting settings: the rural Chemehuevi reservation in Mojave Desert, California, and the urban sprawl of Houston, Texas. Informed by her identity, Romero’s visceral approach to representing Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultural memory—both collective history and lived experiences—results in a blending of fine art and editorial styles. Her visual storytelling brilliantly challenges dominant narratives of Indigenous decline and erasure and disrupts preconceived notions about what it means to be a Native American, showing the diversity within Indigenous nations and communities.

Cara Romero, 3 Sisters, 2022, archival pigment print. Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth: Purchased through the Acquisition and Preservation of Native American Art Fund; 2022.47.2. © Cara Romero. Image courtesy of the artist.

Organized by the Hood Museum of Art, Cara Romero: Panûpünüwügai (Living Light) is the first major solo exhibition exploring the narrative artistic practice of the Chemehuevi photographer and presents more than 50 works Romero created between 2013 and 2024. The exhibition features new and never-before-seen photographs, site-specific installations, large scale photographs, and iconic views across five thematic sections.

Cara Romero, Coyote Girl, 2024, archival pigment print. © Cara Romero. Image courtesy of the artist.

Cara Romero, Devil’s Claw No. 1, 2025, archival pigment print. © Cara Romero. Image courtesy of the artist.

Header: Cara Romero, The Zenith, 2022, archival pigment print. Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth: Purchased through the Acquisition and Preservation of Native American Art Fund; 2022.47.1. © Cara Romero. Image courtesy of the artist.