MIRIAMCABRERA
© MIRIAM CABRERA 2025
FEATURED WORKS
DREAMS & DREAD
A thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design within the Department of Art+Design in the South Carolina School of the Arts, at Anderson University, Anderson, South Carolina.
ABSTRACT:
This thesis book is a multidisciplinary exploration of identity and creative resilience through the lens of the Latina experience. Bringing together original poems, reflections, photographs, and archival family images, the work forms a visual and narrative mosaic rooted in heritage and empathy. At its heart are interviews with Latina designers whose stories and practices illuminate the intersection of design, cultural navigation, and self-expression. Together, these elements create an intimate portrait of what it means to create, remember, and belong as a Latina.
Through raw, personal writing and visual documentation of what I have cherished during this time, this book stands as proof—not only que sí se puede, but that we [latinos/hispanos] are here, and we are not finished. Regardless of who you are, what you make, or how you identify, this work affirms that we are resilient and made in the image of God.
Included throughout are pieces of visual ephemera and photographs collected during a formative trip to Spain, as well as selections from my
portfolio—work shaped by culture, community, and the kind of meaningful practice I hope to pursue post-graduation. May these pages inspire you to keep creating, even in seasons of dryness or dread. To keep reshaping the future and never lose hope in the goodness of people. I hope this is an encouragement to keep going; your effort is not just for you, but for all those who come next.
For the little brown girls failed by systems built to uplift those around her, but never her. For those carrying doubt, guilt, and imposter syndrome. For anyone who’s been told not to speak Spanish. For those being too Latino or too gringo. For those who have had to swallow their rage for years.
SEMILLAS | SPECIAL TOPICS IN PHOTOGRAPHY
Conceptual Installation featured in the “Photo Plus” Show.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
This project sheds light on the struggles faced by Latino and immigrant families, aiming to foster understanding and inspire compassionate action through shared stories. It explores issues at the U.S. border and the displacement of families who live with the fear, grief, and uncertainty tied to immigration.
At the center of the installation is a flower bed measuring 3 feet tall by 1.5 feet wide—roughly the size of a child—created to symbolically honor the lives of children lost or forever changed by these experiences. Marigolds, known in Nahuatl as Cempasúchil, meaning “flower of 400 lives,” represent both remembrance and resilience. Commonly used during Día de los Muertos, they carry cultural and spiritual weight as symbols of life and death. Central to the work is a Mexican proverb, “They wanted to bury us but they didn’t know we were seeds.” These words speak to the enduring strength of those who persist through oppression, transforming pain into new life.
The project also incorporates handmade paper embedded with seeds, created from recycled materials collected from the community. Viewers are invited to take a piece of seeded paper, bury it in soil, and care for what grows—a quiet act of remembrance, rooted in love and healing.
IVY LEAVES JOURNAL | VOLUME 100
Work featured in the Ivy Leaves Journal 2025.
For over a century, the Ivy Leaves Journal has been the guardian of creative student voices at Anderson University. You can find more of our photography work with the ILJ’s Spotlights & Behind the Vines, on the website and social media.
These photographs were submitted and are displayed in the printed version of the publication. In order from left to right, “Angel De Mi Guarda” and “Beauty”.
RECEPTION:
April 22, 2025
5 - 7 pm
Chiquola | 100 W Whitner Street, Anderson, SC 29621
RESILIENT REBOUNDS
Photography featured on International Women’s Day in the Muhammad Ali Shining a Light: Women in Sports Exhibition in Louisville, Kentucky.
As a part of Women’s History Month as well as the Muhammad Ali Center’s prestigious 10th annual international photography contest. The photograph will be showcased alongside other remarkable works, celebrating the power and resilience of women in sports. The opening reception was on March 8th, 2024, at the Muhammad Ali Center. The exhibition will remain open, its closure is on January 12th, 2025.
ADDRESS:
144 N. Sixth Street, Louisville, KY 40202
DESCRIPTION:
Diamond McDowell gets the rebound, the AU Trojans score, and the team's bench cheers!
Although the Breast Cancer Awareness game is the women's basketball team's most popular game, the stands never quite fill up like the men's basketball games do. The WBB hype men (or women) are in fact each other. The coach is male, the ref's are male, the sponsors are male. In a male dominated industry, the women's team hardly gets covered like the men's games do. There's always more photographers on the sidelines for the men's team. It's important to represent women in sports, especially when they score more and break more records than the men's team does. Until recently, the Pink Out game was the only one photographers were asked to cover for our school's social media.
Women are asked to play through injuries and not complain, keep their emotions in check, be muscular–but not too much–, keep a smile, and often wear white uniforms regardless of menstrual cycles. They say to uplift other women, but also remember they're your competition. Mental health is hardly spoken about for student athletes, and the community who says they support women hardly show up in person.
Diamond McDowell has been ranked nationally multiple times and broke the SAC Tournament individual record and total rebound record for the 2022 season. Her talent among many others on the women's team goes unrecognized. Like beating breast cancer many women have to rebound in life regardless of the challenges they may face.
IVY LEAVES JOURNAL | VOLUME 99
Work featured in the Ivy Leaves Journal 2024.
These photographs were submitted and will be displayed in the printed version of the publication. In order from top left to bottom right, “NYC Woman”, “Lost in Creation”, “Shoes”, “Door”, and “103”.
RECEPTION:
April 23, 2024
5 - 7 pm
Chiquola | 100 W Whitner Street, Anderson, SC 29621
MARIONETTE COLLECTION
Work featured in the Ivy Leaves peristyle.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
A beautiful expression of emotions. Sending a message without speaking any words. Dance is an expression that’s contained. And occasionally, the soul breaks the mold. Much like dance, I grew up being asked to quiet my voice or stay in line. Art became my way of expression. As the daughter of immigrants, I found a way to utilize my passion for photography to communicate without language barriers.
In this series, I highlight the physicality of the human body breaking the mold. Following the rhythm of flow in the music. Expressing themselves through the movement of their body, representing what is felt in the heart and mind. Saying a lot, without saying anything at all.
IVY LEAVES JOURNAL | VOLUME 98
Work featured in the Ivy Leaves Journal 2023.
These photographs were submitted and displayed in the printed version of the 2023 publication. In order from top left to bottom right “Introspection”, “Solace”, “Rainey New Orleans”, and “Ghost of Isabella”.