Cinthya Santos Briones is a Mexican participatory artist, anthropologist, ethnohistorian and community organizer based in New York. Her multimedia work uses collaborative and community narratives of self-representation to tell stories about homeland, immigration, memory, and (indigenous) identity through an interdisciplinary process that uses photography, ethnography, (archives) history, drawings and audiovisual and written narratives. For ten years Cinthya worked as a researcher at the National Institute of Anthropology and History focused on issues on indigenous migration, codex, textiles and traditional medicine. She is the recipient of fellowships and grants from the Magnum Foundation (2016/2018/2020), En Foco (2017), National Geographic Research and Exploration (2018), We Woman (2019) and the National Fund for Culture and the Arts of México (2009/2011). Her work has been published in The New York Times, Pdn, La Jornada, California Sunday Magazine, Vogue, Open Society Foundations, Buzzfeed, The Intercept and The Nation Magazine, New Yorker, among others.

Cinthya is co-author of the book “The Indigenous Worldview and its Representations in Textiles of the Nahua community of Santa Ana Tzacuala, Hidalgo”; and the documentary,The Huichapan Codex. Cinthya has worked in pro-immigrant organizations in New York as a community organizer and is currently Adjunct Faculty at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.

Cinthya is part of “Colectiva infancia” (childhood collective) made up of a group of anthropologists who works through ethnographic and visual research on studies around childhood in relation to migration, violence, urban studies and epistemologies of the Global South (https://infanciasenmovimiento.org/colectiva-infancias/)

Awards/Grants

2020- The Magnum Foundation Fund: US Dispatches

2019- We Woman Grant, USA.

2018- Grantee of The National Geographic: Research and Exploration Grant, USA.

2018- Grantee in Photography and Collaboration: Migration and Religion by Magnum Foundation, USA.

2018- Finalists in Women Photograph + Getty Images Grant, USA.

2018-

The Native and Everyday Projects Mentorship Program, USA.

2017 - Visura Scholarship For Career Development

2017 - New York Times Portfolio Review

2017 - En Foco Fellowship

2016 - Magnum Foundation Fellowship

2014 - Second Place In The Competition Festival International Of The Image In The Category Documentary 

 Photographer For Her Series “Comerciantes De Ilusiones”, México.

 2012 - Second Place In The Competition Festival International Of The Image In The Category Documentary 

 Photographer For Her Series “Subway”, México.

 2011 - Third Place Recognition In "Cultural Diversity" Photo Competition Of The National Movement For Cultural 

 Diversity Of Mexico, CDI, CELCI, UAEH, Universidad La Salle, México. 

 2010 - Awarded A Grant From The State Fund For Culture And Arts Of The State Of Hidalgo To Complete The Book 

 Series The Indigenous Worldview And Its Representations In The Nahua Acaxochitlán Textiles, Pachuca, Hidalgo, 

 México.

 2008 - Third Place In The National Photography Competition "El Sazón Mexicano" By The Photo Series "Food    

 Ritual" By The Magazine Cuartoscuro, México, D.F.

2007 - Second Place In The National Photography Competition Category Human Rights In Photographic   History With A Book Entitled “The Broken Toy”, Awarded By The Ministry Of Interior, Foreign Secretary, National Commission On Human Rights, Youth Institute, Polytechnic Institutional, United Nations Commission For Human Rights Regional Office For Latin America And The Caribbean, México, D.F. 

 2009 - Fellow Of The State Fund For Culture And The Arts Of The State Of Hidalgo, In The Category Of Cultural  Heritage Outreach Project: Indigenous Textiles And Their Worldview, Hidalgo, México. 

 2007 - Fellow Of The State Fund For Culture And The Arts Of The State Of Hidalgo, In The Category Of Cultural 

Heritage Outreach Project: The Codex Huichapan, Hidalgo, México.

2007 - Second Place In The Photographic Competition "Laocoon And His Sons" Awarded By The Museo Soumaya, 

Mexico, D.F.

2005-2008 Scholarship “Telmex” Per Academic Excellence Awarded By Telmex Foundation, México, D.F. 


Publications on Photography

2020- Indigenous Cultures Take Root in New York, The Nation Magazine, USA.

2020-Immigrants are Bearing the Brunt of the Coronavirus Crisis,The Nation Magazine, USA.

2018- Photos on Debora Barrios-Vasquez Took Sanctuary in a Church Because ICE Separates Families Every Day, in 

The Intercept, June 23 2018, USA.

2018-

Photos on ‘A Border Control Official Sexually Abused Me’ in the Nation Magazine, New York, USA, 

April 2.


2018- Photos on ”The Walls of this Church Are the Only Thing Standing Between Amanda Morales and Deportation”, 

in the Nation Magazine, New York, USA, January 30.

2018- Photos on ”Seeing an Opening to Leave Her Husband, She Took It and Didn’t Look Back” The Neediest Cases 

Fund, New York Times, Region, New York, USA, January 2.

2017- Photos on “Sticking to the J Train, but Learning to Reroute Dark Thoughts” The Neediest Cases Fund, New York 

Times, Region, New York, USA, Nov. 1.

2017- Photos on “On Her Own, Raising Twin ‘Princesses’ With Special Needs” The Neediest Cases Fund, New York 

Times, Region, New York, USA, Nov.  22.

2017- “Abuelas: Portraits of Invisible Grandmothers”, Nueva Luz Magazine, USA.

2017- “Invisible Grandmothers”, Open Society Foundation, Instagram Takeover, USA.

2017 - "Quinceañeras", Buzzfeed, USA.

2017 - Grandmothers Making a Place for Themselves Beyond the Border, Buzzfeed, USA.

2017 - Abuelas In Lens Blog, New York Times, USA.

2017 - New York Edited Identity By Ostreuzschule Für Fotografie In Berlin, Germany.

2017 - Dummy "USA"  #52, Berlin Germany

2016 - Shift Vol 11 International Center Of Photography, New York

2016 - Invisible Matriarchs: Cinthya Santos Briones’ “Abuelas” Series On Pdn Online, USA.


Job Experience


2018 until now- Adjunct Faculty at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.

2017- Teaching at New Voices School, New York, USA.

2017 -Teaching at Proof: Media for Social Justice "Photography and Human Rights", New York, USA.

2017 -Teaching At Lyons Community School, New York, USA.

2017 - Teaching Assistant For Adriana Adriana Zehbrauskas, Documentary Seminar, International Center Of Photography, New York, USA.

2017 - Teaching Assistant For Andrew Lichtenstein, Documentary Seminar, International Center Of Photography, New York, USA.

2017 - Teaching Assistant For Frank Franca, "Light And Shadows", International Center Of Photography, New York, USA.

2017 - Inter At PROOF: Media For Social Justice, USA.

2017 - Inter At Magnum Foundation, USA.

2014 - Photo Editor In The Magazine NACLA -North American Congress On Latin America, New York City, Unite States.

2014 - Community Organizer In The Tribunal Permanent Of The People: “Migration” Between Mexico And New York, Unite States.

2013 - Researcher At HBO In The Documentary Series “Heroes Cotidianos” New York City.

2005/2011 - Researcher In A National Project Of Ethnography Of The Indigenous Regions In The New Millennium, National Institute Of Anthropology And History (INAH), In The North Huasteca Regional Team Of México, D.F.

2011 - Researcher On The Project "National Program Of Basic Education For Children Of Migrant Laborer Families (PRONIM) In The State Of Guanajuato, Secretaria De Educación Pública, México.

In February And March Of 2011 Worked As An Assistant Of Museography At The "People's Art Exhibition Hidalgo: Rituals, Customs And Creations" Organized By The State Council For Culture And Arts Of The State Of Hidalgo, México. 

2009-2010 Researcher On The Project "A Regional Demographic Diagnosis Of The Migrant Population Of The State Of Guanajuato", SEP, México. 

2007 - Research On The Project Of Cultural Processes Derived From Migration In The National Commission For The Development Of Indigenous Peoples (CDI), Mexico, D.F. 


Solo Exhibitions

2019- “In the Confines of Sanctuary,” Hemispheric Institute, New York University, New York City, USA.

2019 -“Living In Sanctuary” at Green-Wood Cemetery, New York, USA, 2019.

2018- “Abuelas: Portraits of the Invisible Grandmothers”, Dutchess Community College, USA.

2018- “Abuelas: Portraits of the Invisible Grandmothers”, Sky Blue Gallery, Portland Oregon, USA.

2017- “Abuelas: Portraits of the Invisible Grandmothers” at Advent Church, New York, USA.


Group Exhibitions

2020 - Trump Revolution: Immigration at Bronx Documentary Center, New York, USA.

2019- “Living In Sanctuary” Photoville, Los Angeles, USA.

2018 - “Abuelas: Portraits of the Invisible Grandmothers”,  LUMIX Festival, Germany.

2018 - “Abuelas: Portraits of the Invisible Grandmothers” at International Photo Festival in Leiden in Holland, 2018.

2017 - EmergiCubes, Photoville, New York, USA.

2017 - Dreaming Up North: Children on the Move Across the Americas, Museo del Barrio, New York, USA.

2017 - Immediate Surroundings: The 2017 En Foco Photography Fellowship, New York, USA.

2016 - Mextasis Studio, Brooklyn New York, USA.

2016 - "Haven" For Another Kind Of Paradise, International Center Of Photography, New York, NY


Artists Lectures

 2019 “Living in Sanctuary,” at Hemispheric Institute, New York University, New York City, USA, 201

2019 “Spaces of Detention”, United Photo Industries, New York, USA, 2019.

2019 “Living Inside Sanctuary”, Green-Wood Cemetery, New York City, USA, 2018.

2018 - “Abuelas: Portraits of the Invisible Grandmothers”, Sky Blue Gallery, Portland Oregon, USA.

2018 -

“Living Inside Sanctuary” at New School, New York, USA.


2018- 

“Living Inside Sanctuary” at United Photo Industries, New York, USA.

2018- “Living Inside Sanctuary”at Bronx Documentary Center,  New York, USA.

2017- “Abuelas” at Bronx Documentary Center,  New York, USA.

2017- “Abuelas: Portraits of the Invisible Grandmothers” at Advent Church, New York, USA.

2017  - Dreaming Up North: Children on the Move Across the Americas, Museo del Barrio, New York, USA.

2017 - Fighting Back On Both Sides Of The Mexico-U.S. Border, Left Forum, New York, USA.

2016 - Baxter Camara Club Of New York, USA.

2016 - Mextasis Studio, Brooklyn New York, USA.


Clients

New York Times, The Intercept, The Nation Magazine, Pdn Online, Buzzfeed, Open Society Foundations,  Vogue, Open Society Foundations, Haaretz, La Jornada, NACLA, PROOF: Media For Social Justice, Vision Project, Delayed Gratification Magazine, Democracy Now, etc.


Cinthya is available for assignments worldwide.

E-mail: cinthyas.briones@gmail.com

Phone: 347 549 65552


Languages: Spanish and English




Cinthya Santos-Briones Photography

Cinthya Santos Briones, is a Documentary Photographer based between New York and Mexico.
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