Chemehuevi photographer Cara Romero creates striking tableaux that bring together Indigenous subjects of representation and natural settings. Romero, who grew up between the Mojave Desert and Houston, is intrigued by photography’s role in the creation of racial stereotypes about Indigenous communities. To counteract photography’s extractive past, she actively collaborates with her sitters and engages Indigenous mythologies. Romero holds a BFA from the University of Houston, an AFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts, and an AAS from Oklahoma State University. Her recognitions include a 2021 Women’s International Study Center Fellowship and a 2022 Lou Stoumen Award. Romero’s first retrospective, Cara Romero Panûpünüwügai (Living Light), opened at the Hood Museum of Art (New Hampshire) in 2025.