Why the focus on food? I don't have a great story about growing up among kitchen fires and extravagant flavors; in fact, I didn't eat an onion until I moved by myself at 20. After two weeks of eating pasta and pre-made sauce, I was ready to call my mom and ask how she makes her amazing rice. That is all it took for me to light my own kitchen fires.

Many years later, when I finished my Master's at the University of Gastronomic Sciences, I left with something meaningful: a community and a commitment to food culture mixed with the conviction of defending biodiversity, good food, the people who produce it, and the land where it grows.

Since then, I've worked with Slow Food International, studied wine through WSET Levels 1 and 2, spent time photographing restaurants, and travelled to visit markets and producers.

Food is more than what sustains us. It is politics. It is war and peace. It is power. Above all, it is culture.

These days, what pulls me creatively is storytelling and photography that goes beyond the plate: understanding my own history and migration through food, and what it means to carry a place with you even after you've left it.

Yes, that’s me in the photo surrounded by beans from the Americas.