Lena Camero (she/her) states, “ When I saw this portrait by my incredible friend & adopted mama @katherinepinaphotography I dissolved into tears. I let them flow. Maybe it’s because I’m going through it, attempting to construct the altar of self & make it reflect the truth I know in my na'au. Maybe it’s because I have been trying to follow my kupuna and the ‘ala they have paved for me. Maybe it’s because I look like so many of my beloved dead, the spirits that guide me every day from the mauna to now. Maybe it’s all of these things, but I know that I will treasure this portrait out of all the photos I have as a reminder. This is who you are, this is where you come from, this is where you are going. Maganda Morena, Lady Pasifika, Kia'i Mauna; Go Ahead & Rise.”
Lena’s Contact info: Insta: @hapabruha
Originally published in October 2019.