projecTs
individuals and landscapes dispersed across the political map, bound by shared culture.
My method is a hybrid of the antiquated and the new, incorPoratinG analoG and diGital pHotoGraphy,
alternative processes, and proJection.
Chavalas Lindas is a photographic project born from memory, migration, and the enduring presence of Nicaraguan identity abroad. Growing up in Miami, I was raised by Nicaraguan women. Abuelita Dora, Ika, Noelia Ramos, and Sandra Ramos shaped my understanding of resilience. Their influence extended from the kitchen, where cups of coffee and corn-baked snacks were rituals, to the broader journey of self-determination that led my grandmother to escape homelessness, my single mother to law school in the U.S. and, later, me to Paris in pursuit of my own artistic path.
The title, meaning “beautiful young women,” is inspired by Luis Pastor’s song Nicaragua, la Chavala Linda, a tribute to the beauty of Nicaragua. This project stems from a deep desire to document and celebrate the lives of Nicaraguans who have built communities outside their homeland. I have met Nicaraguans who have been exiled or migrated with hope in Paris, Madrid, and Miami, all of whom continue to nurture their cultural identity through food, religious celebrations like La Gritería, baseball or simply the act of gathering. Yet, I have found few visual records of Nicaraguan life beyond narratives of oppression and violence. There are scarce photographs of my own family in Nicaragua before the 2000s.
With devotion, I am dedicated to preserving and expanding this history. Through photography, I build an archive of Nicaraguan life abroad, tracing the persistence of tradition in new landscapes. From Nicaraguan coffee beans in Parisian cafés to the fritangas in Miami, Chavalas Lindas honors the ways Nicaraguans continue to move forward, realizing their dreams.
But first,
how
are
you?
ABOUT
I am in constant DialoGue with memory - what is preserved, what fades, and what insists on beinG SEEN.
I was born in 2003 in Miami, United States. In 2024,
I received my Bachelor's degree in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communications at Florida International University. I am currently showing in the exhibition Women of Vision at Doral Contemporary Art Museum. This year I will receive my Masters degree in Photography and Image-Making at Paris College of Art. Upcoming shows include Eidos, at Bastille Design Center in France. I live and work in Paris, France.