Wake up mama! is moving and intimate photo exhibition marking the first time Reina and Oxiea Villamonte, mother and daughter present their work together as a duo. The exhibition weaves two artistic journeys into one shared space, celebrating lineage, sacrifice, and creative awakening.

At its heart are never-before-seen photographs by the mother-images long kept private, created before she set aside her artistic ambitions to raise her daughter. Shown publicly for the first time, these works reclaim her voice as an artist and invite viewers to witness the depth, sensitivity, and vision that existed long before motherhood took center stage.

Alongside her, the daughter’s work acts as both dialogue and tribute. Together, their photographs explore memory, identity, and the quiet power of generational connection.

Wake up mama! is not only an exhibition; it is an acknowledgment. A platform that honors the mother’s creative legacy, recognizes what was paused but never lost, and affirms her right to be proud-not just as a mother, but as the artist she has always been.

Oxiea Villamonte (b.1995, Chicago, USA) is based in Amsterdam, is a visual artist working primarily with photography, publications and archives.

Reina Villamonte (Omaha, Nebraska, USA) is based in Amsterdam, is a photographer, writer, activist, and owner of SCUM label and designs.

(Text by Oxeia & Reina Villamonte)