Ayelén (Joy), 2018, Photograph

This artwork is part of a series of double exposure digital photographs of my cousins and inspired by the flora of the urban oasis outside of their Silver Lake home. The Caivano girls are from Afro-Argentinian backgrounds. Their parents chose to give the girls Mapuche middle names to honor the Indigenous peoples of the lands they are from. This image is of the eldest daughter, Naiya Ayelén Caivano. Her middle name, Ayelén, is of Argentine origin, meaning “one who likes to smile and fill everyone's life with joy.”

Anahí (Beautiful Flower), 2018, Photograph

This artwork is part of a series of double exposure digital photographs of my cousins and inspired by the flora of the urban oasis outside of their Silver Lake home. The Caivano girls are from Afro-Argentinian backgrounds. Their parents chose to give the girls Mapuche middle names to honor the Indigenous peoples of the lands they are from. This image is of the middle daughter, Elia Anahí Caivano. Her middle name, Anahí, is of Tupi-Guarani origin meaning “beautiful like the flower.” The name of a Guaraní princess killed by Spanish conquistadors in Tupi-Guarani legend. A Ceibo tree–the national flower of Argentina–is said to have bloomed in the spot where she died.

Sayen (Love), 2018, Photograph

This artwork is part of a series of double exposure digital photographs of my cousins and inspired by the flora of the urban oasis outside of their Silver Lake home. The Caivano girls are from Afro-Argentinian backgrounds. Their parents chose to give the girls Mapuche middle names to honor the Indigenous peoples of the lands they are from. This image is of the youngest daughter, Xenia Sayen Caivano. Her middle name means “sweet, lovely” in Mapuche – possibly a derivative of Mapuche ayün, meaning “love.”