Sara Aliaga PHmuseum Limited Edition Print
Sara Aliaga PHmuseum Limited Edition Print
The image comes from Cholita tenías que ser, a project that explores from an empathetic perspective the identity of the "Chola", which is the ethnic denomination referring to mestizo women from the highland areas of Bolivia. The work is built from the need to reconquer their stereotypical image and to deal with the globalization of beauty canons, with which these women do not identify. The author creates a visual imaginary starting from their clothes. The Cholas use them indeed not only as a symbol of their tradition but also as an act of identity resistance against the highly racialized context that Bolivia is suffering. The ultimate goal is dignifying everything that they represent, as women and as carriers of cultural forces. The project was born from a turning point in the photographer's life in which she questionsed her own identity and researched the family album. There she found out that her great-grandmother, Sara, was a Chola and started to identify with them, their way of being, strength, and resistance.