Yinna Higuera is a Colombian-Ecuadorian documentary photographer and visual artist, psychologist, educator, and cultural manager specialized in exploring identity, memory, and migration, with a focus on documentary photography of gender, territory, and community processes. Her work, both personal and collaborative, addresses social transformation through the image, making stories visible and generating critical reflection on cultural identity and gender equity.
Among her most notable projects is ‘Escuelas Cerradas,’ which documents the traces of abandoned rural schools, reflecting on memory, access to education, and its community impact. She has also developed ‘Dualidades Migrantes,’ an introspective series exploring the emotional tensions of migration, and the ‘Dolores Cacuango’ photographic residency, a collective training space that has involved the education of 24 photographers and two communities in memory and visual processes in Ecuador. Her practice incorporates experimental techniques such as photo embroidery, double exposure, cyanotype, and photographic collage, positioning the image as a tool for healing and emotional reconstruction.
She is the co-founder of the SolipsisArt Ecuador collective and former president of the Ecuadorian Photographers Association, where she led the consolidation of the largest network of photographers in the country and promoted professional development in the field.
Currently, she is the captain of Ecuador’s team for the 2025 World Photographic Cup and serves on the advisory board of POY LATAM (Pictures of the Year Latin America), one of the most important documentary photography contests in the region.
An award-winning photographer, her work has been exhibited more than forty times in Latin America and internationally.
Website: https://yinnahiguera.photoshelter.com
Patricia Lanza : Discuss your career and focus of your work in photography in Ecuador?
Yinna Higuera : My photography career in Ecuador has developed at the intersection of image, memory, and identity. Throughout my journey, I have explored photography as a medium for dialogue between the individual and the collective, addressing themes such as the relationship between women and the land, the migrant experience, and the construction of memory within communities.
My work blends documentary and experimental approaches, allowing me to explore new forms of visual storytelling that transcend traditional photography. In projects like Traces (Huellas), I have integrated printing processes on organic materials to emphasize the connection between women and their territory. In Dualidades Migrantes, I use techniques such as photo embroidery and double exposure to represent the fragmentation of migrant identity.
Beyond my work as a photographer, I have actively engaged in education and cultural management, leading workshops and training spaces for communities, particularly women and young people. I strongly believe in photography as a tool for social transformation, and my approach seeks to not only document realities but also generate processes of empowerment and visibility for stories that have often been overlooked.
My career continues to evolve, exploring new materialities, expanding the reach of my work internationally, and strengthening collaborative networks in the field of photography and contemporary art.
In the photographic industry in the country of Ecuador, what were the challenges and surprises you have encountered?
YH : Navigating Ecuador’s photographic industry has presented both significant challenges and remarkable discoveries. One of the main obstacles has been the limited institutional support and infrastructure for long-term photographic projects, especially those that address social issues or experimental approaches. Additionally, the recognition of photography as a form of artistic and documentary expression is still developing, which forces many independent photographers to seek alternative platforms and funding to sustain their work.
However, within these challenges, I have also found unexpected opportunities. The resilience of local artistic communities, the growing interest in photography as a storytelling medium, and the willingness of communities—especially young people and rural women—to share their experiences have been powerful and inspiring. Ecuador’s photographic industry is undergoing a transformation, where new voices are emerging, and there is a stronger push toward regional collaboration and interdisciplinary dialogues. These advancements reaffirm the importance of continuing to document and create, using photography not only as an artistic expression but also as a tool for memory, identity, and social change.
Your latest series, Traces is series of portraits of women and the land.
What was your process including the significance and symbolism of the series, and describe the technical production of printing on unusual surfaces?
YH : Traces is a series of portraits that explores the profound connection between women and the land, showcasing the indelible mark they leave on one another. This project is not only about documenting their stories but also about creating spaces for exchange and collaboration, where art and photography become tools for community empowerment. Through workshops, visual storytelling, and cultural management strategies, we provide tools that strengthen their identity, memory, and entrepreneurial initiatives.
The creative process begins with an open dialogue: during our work with rural communities, women share their knowledge about medicinal plants and traditional crops—wisdom passed down through generations. In this act of trust and reciprocity, they gift me leaves from their gardens, living symbols of their daily connection to the land, and in return, I create their portraits.
The technical production of the series is based on plant-based photosensitivity printing. I use the chlorotype technique, where sunlight reveals the images directly onto the leaves, utilizing the organic materials’ ability to absorb and transform light into visual memories. This method is a tribute to natural cycles of growth and renewal, aligned with Andean traditions, and symbolizes the fusion of memory, the body, and the landscape. In this way, photography becomes a living testimony, a bridge between art and community, reinforcing the importance of knowledge transmission and collective work.
Your practice involves many techniques in the process of photography describe these and the work?
YH : My photographic practice is defined by the integration of various techniques that explore the materiality of the image. In addition to chlorotype printing, I have experimented with hybrid processes that combine traditional and contemporary methods, always with the intention of ensuring that each image conveys the essence of the story it narrates. These techniques include direct manipulation of organic materials and the use of resources that engage in dialogue with nature, making each portrait both a visual document and an artistic object. This experimental approach allows me to transform each encounter into a sensory and emotional experience, where the image becomes a bridge between photographic technique and cultural narrative.
Beyond chlorotype printing, my work incorporates processes such as double exposure, photo embroidery, cyanotype, and photographic collage, exploring how materiality can reinforce each project’s narrative. These techniques allow photography to engage with itself on a conceptual and sensory level, incorporating textures, manual interventions, and symbolic elements that amplify its meaning.
Beyond technical experimentation, my practice is also deeply rooted in collaborative work. Through workshops and training processes within communities, I share visual tools with women, young people, and other creators, promoting photography as a medium for expression, documentation, and collective memory. For me, the image is a language in itself, capable of connecting territories, times, and experiences, and my work seeks to expand its possibilities both aesthetically and socially.
What are you looking to do with Traces and what are you working on presently?
YH : With Traces, my goal is not only to document the resilience and wisdom of rural women but also to reclaim their role as guardians of ecological and cultural memory. I want this series to create a space for reflection on the interconnection between identity, territory, and tradition, bringing visibility to stories that have often been silenced in a world that moves at a relentless pace.
Beyond its exhibition, I want Traces to continue evolving through direct engagement with communities. This includes conducting workshops where the women themselves can use photography as a tool for storytelling, as well as implementing educational processes where the image becomes a bridge between art, identity, and collective memory.
At the same time, I am continuing to develop Dualidades Migrantes, a project that explores the migrant experience from an introspective perspective, employing hybrid techniques such as double exposure, photo embroidery, and cyanotype to represent the fragmentation and reconstruction of identity. This work seeks to generate a dialogue on belonging and the multiple layers of memory within the migrant experience.
I am also committed to education and cultural management, strengthening networks among photographers and visual artists in the region. My goal is to continue expanding the reach of my work, exploring new materialities in photography, and fostering spaces where the image can be used as a tool for social transformation and memory-building.
