A dynamic exhibition merges printmaking, photography, and ceramics to explore identity, time, and evolution. Cara and Diego Romero: Tales of Futures Past showcases the work of photographer Cara Romero (Chemehuevi) and potter Diego Romero (Cochiti Pueblo). The married artists engage in an artistic dialogue between their mediums in this traveling show organized by the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa. The Albuquerque presentation also includes additional works from New Mexico museums.
A Visionary Collaboration for Cara and Diego Romero’s Tales of Futures Past
Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque
through February 8
Diego Romero Women in the Anthropocene, circa 2015 Earthenware with slip, 6 1/2 x 13 7/8 x 14 1/8 inches Collection of Carl & Marilynn Thoma, 2015.78, © Diego Romero
Diego Romero, Knot Bearers, 2009, earthenware with slip and gold luster, 5 3/8 x 14 1⁄2 x 14 1⁄2 inches. Albuquerque Museum, Museum, Purchase, PC2015.28.1, © Diego Romero
Exploring Indigenous Identity
The exhibition features 35 works — including 16 of Cara’s photographs, 15 pottery pieces by Diego, and several collaborations. Together, the Romeros examine the complexities and ongoing evolution of Indigenous identity. Their works fuse elements of popular culture, ancestral tradition, and the supernatural to create protagonists empowered by their Indigeneity. These figures move through changing worlds, rewriting historical narratives and challenging viewers to rethink time, heritage, and belonging.
Diego Romero, Cara, 2018, lithograph with gold leaf, 24 x 24 inches. Loan courtesy of Shiprock Santa Fe, © Diego Romero
Cara Romero, Arla Lucia, 2020, archival pigment print, 72 1⁄2 x 39 1⁄4 in. Courtesy of the artist, © Cara Romero
Art with Depth and Humor
“There’s great humor and sarcasm in this serious show,” says William Gassaway, Assistant Curator of Art at the Albuquerque Museum. “It’s not a solemn show. These are powerful ideas about rewriting history, advocating environmental consciousness, and celebrating Indigeneity. Yet it disarms with humor and lush color. It’s a visual delight and an intellectual deep dive.”
Cara Romero, 3 Sisters, 2022, archival pigment print, 39 1⁄4 x 54 1⁄4 in. Courtesy of the artist, © Cara Romero
Shifting Through Time
According to Gassaway, these themes are not new to New Mexico or the museum. “Cara’s work especially emphasizes Indigenous futurism, while Diego comments on the ludicrous conspiracy theories surrounding the ancient Maya and alien influences,” he notes. “We hope visitors will feel comfortable moving through time — backward to the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, through the present, and into an imagined, hopeful future.” Check out Cara and Diego Romero: Tales of Futures Past today!
Cara Romero, Water Memory, 2015, archival pigment print, 38 3⁄4 x 38 3⁄4 in. Courtesy of the artist, © Cara Romero
Cara and Diego Romero: Tales of Futures Past is organized by the Figge Art Museum, Davenport, Iowa. This exhibition is made possible in part through the generous support of the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation.
Find more events going on in New Mexico here!
Story by Kelly Koepke
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