What’s going on everyone, and welcome back to Sombra Y Cultura, the podcast where we talk about photography, culture, identity, and the visual storytellers helping preserve the stories of our people through images.

Today, we’re talking about a photographer whose work feels deeply rooted in memory, community, and heritage. Someone whose photographs carry a quiet kind of strength to them. The kind of images that don’t need to scream to stay with you.

Today’s episode is about Citlali Fabián.

A contemporary Mexican photographer from Oaxaca whose work has become recognized for its portrayal of Indigenous identity, culture, and everyday life through an incredibly personal lens.

And honestly, what immediately drew me to her work is how sincere it feels.

Nothing about her photography feels forced.
Nothing feels overly commercial.
It feels connected to real people, real traditions, and real experiences.

And I think people can feel that the moment they see her photographs.

Citlali Fabián is from Oaxaca, Mexico, and comes from a Zapotec background.

And if you know anything about Oaxaca, you know it’s a place filled with history, tradition, language, textiles, food, ceremony, and visual identity. It’s one of those places where culture feels present everywhere around you.

You can feel that connection inside her work.

A lot of her photography reflects the environments, traditions, and people that shaped her perspective growing up. But what makes her work feel different is that she photographs from a place of familiarity and understanding.

Historically, many Indigenous communities were often photographed through outsider perspectives. Sometimes the images felt distant. Sometimes romanticized. Sometimes disconnected from the people themselves.

But Citlali’s work feels personal.

Her photographs feel grounded in trust and closeness. Her subjects don’t feel observed from a distance. They feel seen.

And honestly, I think that emotional connection is part of why her work resonates with so many people.

Before fully moving into photography, Citlali studied graphic design, and I honestly think you can see that influence throughout her work.

The compositions feel intentional.
The colors feel balanced.
The framing always feels thoughtful.

There’s a calmness to her images.

Over time, photography became more than just image-making for her. It became a way to preserve memory, identity, and culture through visual storytelling.

And that’s something I connect with deeply.

Because photography isn’t only about creating something beautiful.
Sometimes photography becomes preservation.

It becomes a way of holding onto stories, traditions, and people before they disappear or get forgotten.

And instead of trying to imitate trends or chase whatever style was popular internationally, Citlali leaned deeper into her own roots and community.

And honestly, I think that’s what gives her work its strength.

One of the biggest contributions Citlali Fabián has made to contemporary photography is the way she helps expand conversations around Indigenous representation through photography.

Especially Indigenous women being photographed with dignity, softness, complexity, and humanity.

Her work has been featured and recognized in international photography spaces, and through that visibility, more people outside of Mexico are being introduced to contemporary Indigenous perspectives through photography itself.

And I think that matters.

Because for a long time, Indigenous communities were often documented by photographers looking from the outside in.

But photographers like Citlali are helping shift that perspective by telling stories from within the culture and community itself.

There’s a difference there.
And you can feel it.

Her work still feels connected to home, even while reaching international audiences.

And honestly, I respect that a lot.

A lot of the recognition around Citlali Fabián’s photography comes from her portraiture centered on Zapotec women, Indigenous identity, and cultural continuity in Oaxaca.

And what really stays with me about her work isn’t only the beauty of the images.

It’s the feeling behind them.

There’s pride in the way her subjects carry themselves.
There’s calmness.
There’s strength.
There’s dignity.

Her portraits feel contemporary while still remaining deeply connected to tradition.

And that balance is difficult to achieve.

Sometimes photographers lean too heavily into nostalgia, and the work can start feeling frozen in time. Other times, photographers modernize things so much that the cultural connection disappears completely.

But Citlali somehow manages to hold both worlds together.

And I think that’s one of the reasons her photography feels memorable.

I honestly think photographers like Citlali Fabián matter right now because a lot of younger photographers are searching for authenticity again.

People are getting tired of photography that feels empty or disconnected from real life.

They want work with emotion.
Work with roots.
Work with identity.
Work that actually says something.

And Citlali’s photography reminds people that you don’t have to separate yourself from your culture to create contemporary work.

In fact, your culture might become the very thing that gives your work meaning.

I think that’s an important lesson for younger Latino photographers especially.

A lot of us grow up thinking success means trying to imitate whatever is trending internationally instead of understanding the value in our own stories, neighborhoods, traditions, and families.

But photographers like Citlali remind us that our stories already matter.

And they deserve to be documented with care.

I think one of the biggest things future photographers can learn from Citlali Fabián is intentionality.

Her work feels patient.

The images breathe.
Nothing feels rushed.
Nothing feels desperate for attention.

And in today’s photography world, where everything moves fast and everybody wants instant validation online, that patience stands out.

Another thing photographers can learn from her is respect for the subject.

You can feel that respect in her portraits.

And honestly, viewers notice that even if they can’t explain it directly.

People can tell when a photographer genuinely cares about the people they’re photographing.

That emotional honesty changes everything.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS

My final thoughts on Citlali Fabián are honestly pretty simple.

I think she represents a newer generation of photographers reclaiming narrative through photography.

Not waiting for outsiders to define Indigenous identity.
Not reshaping culture to fit trends.
Not disconnecting from heritage in order to feel contemporary.

Just creating honest work rooted in community, memory, and identity.

And I think that’s part of why her photography feels important beyond aesthetics.

It feels human.

For younger Latino photographers, especially photographers coming from Indigenous or underrepresented communities, her work is proof that your background is not something you need to hide from your art.

It can actually become the soul of it.

And in a photography world that sometimes feels repetitive or overly focused on trends, photographers like Citlali remind people that sincerity still matters.

And honestly…
I think photography needs more of that.

If you haven’t explored Citlali Fabián’s work yet, I really recommend spending some time with her photography. Pay attention to the emotion, the composition, and the way she photographs people with care and dignity.

You can see her work here:

Citlali Fabián Official Website

And her Instagram here:

@citlali_fabian

Thank you all for listening to Sombra Y Cultura.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, leave a rating or review, and share the episode with somebody who loves photography and visual storytelling.

And as always…
thank you for supporting photography, culture, and the stories of our people.

I’ll catch you all in the next episode.

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