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Brenda Lee Hernández Díaz is a Puerto Rican artist based in Chicago whose practice originated in documentary and street photography. Her work has evolved through a sustained exploration of human, cultural, and spiritual themes, deepened by periods of personal reflection across diverse geographies.
In recent years, her practice has shifted toward conceptually driven, photography-based work that embraces experimentation and expanded forms of visual storytelling, now extending into mixed media/multimedia projects that interrogate the temporal and emotional dimensions of the photographic image.
Her work has been presented in solo and group exhibitions in Chicago and Puerto Rico. She has also participated as a panelist in conversations engaging contemporary photography and artistic practice.
Artist Statement
Artist Statement
Photography has long been a way for me to engage with perception, memory, and lived experience. My practice originated in documentary and street photography and has increasingly moved beyond the photographic moment into expanded conceptual forms.
In 2021, my relationship to the photographic image shifted through the printing process. Seeing photographs take physical form was both emotionally and conceptually significant. It clarified the connection between my inner life and the subjects I was drawn to. It also raised questions about the lifecycle of images that exist primarily in digital space. Meaning began to shift through form, context, and presentation.
In the current phase of my practice, my work has expanded beyond traditional print and conventional display toward broader experimental and conceptual approaches to photographic storytelling. I now develop mixed media and multimedia projects that incorporate photography as one layer within expanded structures of visual and narrative construction. This evolution reflects an ongoing interest in fragmentation, recombination, and the possibilities of the image.
Exhibitions
Exhibitions
Group Exhibitions
2026 Through Her Lens: Caribbean Image Makers. Puerto Rican Arts Alliance, Chicago, IL. (curated by Jorge Félix).
2025 Speak, Rise & Celebrate. Gallery 1701, Chicago Center for the Arts and Technology (CHICAT), Chicago, IL (curated by Yidi Wang).
2025 Puerto Rican Women in Arts. Liga de Arte de San Juan, San Juan, PR (curated by Alexis Figueroa, Trailer Park Proyects).
2025 Collective Narratives: Art, Influences & Inspirations from Around the City. Zhou B Art Center, Chicago, IL (curated by Takako Konishi, Bridgeport Artist Community).
2025 Puerto Rican Women in Arts. El Schomburg | Espacio de Arte Contemporáneo, Chicago, IL (curated by Alexis Figueroa, Trailer Park Proyects).
2024 A White Noise: Reordering Chaos. El Schomburg | Espacio de Arte Contemporáneo, Chicago, IL (curated by Brenda Torres-Figueroa).
2024 Showcase Artist of the Month. Solo exhibition. Bottles Up, Chicago, IL.
Panels
2026 New Perspectives in Photography, Chicago Art Department. Moderated by Diana Solis and Deanna Ledezma. Chicago,IL.
2025 Speak, Rise & Celebrate. Moderated by Yidi Wang. Chicago Center for the Arts and Technology (CHICAT), Chicago, IL.
Education
Education
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
2025 Taller de Títulos. PÁGINA en BLANDO. Ciudad de México, MX.
2025 Tesis sobre la Fotografía y la Historia, Políptico Político. PÁGINA en BLANDO. Ciudad de México, MX.
2025 Conceptual Emocional. PÁGINA en BLANDO. Ciudad de México, MX.
2020 Curaduría Digital. Casa Garita Centro Cultural y Estudio Visual. Oaxaca, México, MX.
2019 The Art of Street Photography. Magnum Learn. USA.
2011 Photography Fundamentals, Chicago Photography Classes. Chicago, IL.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Honorable Mention, RedEye Chicago Winter Photography Contest. 2010.
EDUCATION
Master's Business Administration: Operations Management and Marketing
Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL
Bachelor's Public Communications: Public Relations and Advertising
University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR
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