About the Exhibition: Vientos familiares is an exhibition by Zapotec artist Semmia paying homage to her childhood haunts (comprising her entire life to date) and her relation to people, heritage, and places. The four sections, “Soy Semmia,” “El viento,”  “Raíces sobreviviendo,” and “Mil amores,” reflect the person Semmia is now and the liminal space that is the precipice between adolescence and higher education, as she prepares for her imminent departure from all she has known, in pursuit of her next self. 

Semmia invites viewers to learn from her journey and also recognize the universal emotions that arise from experiences of cultural preservation and being part of a whole. “Soy Semmia” reveals what has supported the development of who she is and everything that has contributed to her identity. “El viento” refers to the home that gives direction to her life and her connection to her neighborhood of West Adams. “Raíces sobreviviendo” illustrates what continues to be passed down to her through her heritage and how her native language, Zapoteco, influences her identity including what it means for her to be born in the U.S and reclaim the title of Zapoteca. Finally the last topic, “Mil amores,” is for loved ones, her older brother and younger sister, grandparents, and the love that raised her. In each topic, Semmia uses both members of her family as well as community members as models to reinforce themes in the images.

About the Artist: Va'chiose Yogolole! Nede lé Mía Leonor Rovira. (Hello everyone, my name is Mia Leonor Rovira.) 

Semmia, otherwise known as Mía Leonor Rovira, is an urban Indigenous photographer who was born and raised in West Adams, Los Angeles. Guided by her cultural perspective, each photograph she creates aims to preserve the oral histories of the elders and cultural bearers in her community. Semmia began her passion for photography at the age of 11 with AMP Studios and continued to pursue storytelling through visual media at Las Fotos Project. She uses photography as a tool to help her Indigenous Zapotec community feel seen, heard, and valued.