A proud Paraguayan stood out at the 2025 Mercosur Photography and Reels Competition, an event that celebrates regional creativity and identity. Photographer Carmen Díaz, 34, earned third place in the photography category for her image Guava Jam (Dulce de Guayaba), while another Paraguayan creator took second place in the Reels category. Their success placed Paraguay at the centre of Mercosur’s cultural celebration, where art becomes a bridge between nations.
A portrait born from everyday life
Born in Fernando de la Mora and raised in Villa Aurelia, Asunción, Díaz now lives and works in Ciudad Nueva. Her winning photo, Dulce de Guayaba, portrays her mother making homemade guava sweets — a scene filled with tenderness and familiarity.
“My mother has this beautiful habit,” Díaz explains. “Every season she makes sweets from whatever fruit is available. That day it was guava, and I wanted to capture her just as she is, with her little stove, her recycled bottle, and her smile.”
She took the picture with her Canon 70D, the camera that now symbolises how far she has come. “I started with a borrowed camera from a friend,” she recalls. “It was quite an odyssey to return it every time because we did not live close to each other. But that is how I began. Later I was able to buy my own equipment and continue from there.”
The photo has already received recognition in Paraguay. Díaz previously won first place in the Ministry of Women’s contest Women Who Do (Mujeres que Hacen) with the same image. “It means a lot to me because it represents not only my mother, but also many older women who support themselves with their own work.”
Carmen Díaz and the power of Paraguayan storytelling
The Mercosur Photography and Reels Competition is an annual creative contest organized by the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), a regional trade bloc in South America established in 1991 by the Treaty of Asunción. Its primary goal is to promote free trade and economic integration among its member countries.
For Díaz, the Mercosur award is not only an artistic achievement but also an act of representation. “This award makes Paraguayan photography and gastronomy visible. It shows that our traditions — the food, the people, the stories — deserve to be seen.”
Her image stood out among hundreds of submissions from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay. The judges praised its warmth, composition, and cultural authenticity, qualities that transcend borders.
A photographer of memory and emotion
Díaz has worked in photography for over twelve years, focusing on portraits and everyday scenes that evoke emotion and belonging. “I love capturing the everyday — the things we often overlook but that define who we are,” she said.
She is now preparing her upcoming exhibition Impermanencia, supported by the National Fund for Culture and Arts (FONDEC), which will continue her exploration of family, memory, and Paraguayan identity.
For Díaz, the true reward lies in connection. “Many people tell me my photos remind them of their parents,” she shares. “When someone tells me my work made them remember their childhood or their mother, that is when I know my art has meaning.”
