Selma Fernandez Richter was born in Oaxaca, Mexico, and is currently based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A photographer since 2001, she works in both the United States and Mexico. Her primary focus is working with people, with a particular emphasis on photographing children. She is interested in exploring themes related to identity through connection with place, adaptation, and religion.
Selma spent the first 10 years of her professional career in Monterrey, Mexico´s most industrial city, where she principally photographed people in the business community. Two years ago, she moved away from Mexico and redirected her career. She started photographing her ongoing project “The Ache for Home” about the refugee communities in her new home state of Minnesota while experiencing her own adaptation process. This project has been supported by Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota and an artist residency from Forca Noreste, in Mexico. She hopes to complete this work in the coming years and produce a book.
She has been involved in education throughout her photographic career. Since 2011, she has been producing Mary Ellen Mark´s workshops in Mexico and has also assisted her on assignment. She also produces workshops for photographers Ernesto Bazan, Tino Soriano and Christian Ziegler, among others
Selma´s work has been featured in various exhibitions in places such as Centro de la Imagen in Mexico City, Manuel Alvarez Bravo Photo Center in Oaxaca, Mexico, Fototeca Nacional in Pachuca, México, Nuevo Leon Center for the Arts in Monterrey, Mexico, Tijuana Cultural Center, in Tijuana, Mexico, Center for Changing Lives in Minneapolis, MN, Mexican Cultural Institute in San Antonio, Texas, The Third Place Gallery in Minneapolis, MN, Center for Fine Art Photography in Fort Collins, Colorado and the New Orleans Photo Alliance.