The first thing you see when you walk in is a dark wooden dresser covered with a white lace cloth, dozens of family photographs lying among marigold flowers, a rosary, an old pair of glasses, and a small statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Some photos are black-and-white; others have faded with time. They are layers of memory built up across generations. This is how Casa de Cultura: The Living Archive begins, the residency of photographer Violeta Álvarez at the Fresh Arts gallery inside Winter Street Studios, a large art complex in Houston.
Álvarez has built her career around music photography. Her work has appeared in Rolling Stone and Pitchfork. Portraits of Bad Bunny and Willie Nelson hang in her studio. But this time she’s turned the camera inward, toward her own roots. Born in Texas to Mexican parents, Álvarez set out to explore the experiences that connect immigrant families, starting with her own family’s story.
