About / CV
Misael Hernandez is a photographer from Springfield, Oregon. His work utilizes documentary, sculpture and archive approaches to decipher the culture, religion, and identity of his Mexican heritage and Northwestern American upbringing. These two cultures and the landscapes of the West have had tremendous impacts on his character and artistic practice. He now combines adobe brick material, sculpture, and historically sourced images to construct photographic works that refer to his sense of identity and its relation to a deep photographic time and cross-cultural shared experiences.
Hernandez received his MFA and was a graduate instructor in photography at the University at Buffalo (2023-2025). He attained his BA from the University of Oregon and assisted Portland photographer and educator Jason Langer (2021-2023). His work has been exhibited in Oregon and New York, including the Center for Exploratory & Perceptual Arts (CEPA), University at Buffalo Art Galleries, and C.R.E.A.T.E Community Studios. Selected awards include the Film Photo Award 2025 Student Project Award, the 2025 SUNY Thayer Fellowship and the 2025 Generator Grant, administered by The Buffalo Institute for Contemporary Art (BICA), funded by the Andy Warhol Foundation. Hernandez was recently selected to participate in the Center for Photography at Woodstock (fall 2025) and the Anderson Ranch (spring 2026) artist-in-residence programs.
CV
Education
MFA – Studio Art, University at Buffalo
Bachelor of Arts in Art and Technology, University of Oregon
Teaching Experience
2025 Spring Instructor of Record, Introduction to Photography 313, University at Buffalo
2024 Fall Instructor of Record, Introduction to Photography 313, University at Buffalo
2024 Spring Instructor of Record, Introduction to Photography 313, University at Buffalo
2023 Fall Instructor of Record, Introduction to Photography 313, University at Buffalo
Work Experience
2023-2025 Photo Lab Monitor, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
2023 – 2025 Gallery Installer, CEPA Gallery, Buffalo, New York
2021 – 2023 Assistant to photographer and educator Jason Langer, Portland, Oregon
Selected Exhibitions
2025 Art of Research – Buffalo Museum of Science, Buffalo, New York
2025 Frontera de carácter – CEPA Gallery, Buffalo, New York (solo)
2024 Printmakers Showcase – C.R.E.A.T.E Community Studios, Troy, New York
2024 Big Orbit Members Show – CEPA Gallery, Buffalo, New York
2024 Symbiosis – CEPA Gallery, Buffalo, New York
2024 Placeholder – University at Buffalo Center for the Arts Gallery, Buffalo, New York
2023 Clashing Fragments – Project Space, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
2023 Incoming MFA Showcase – Project Space, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
2023 Zone 4 All – New Zone Gallery, Eugene, Oregon
2022 Hay Más Tiempo Que Vida – Oregon Contemporary Theatre, Eugene, Oregon
2022 No Borders – LaVerne Krause Gallery, Eugene, Oregon
2022 Viewpoint: Landscape and Architecture – Black Box Gallery, Portland, Oregon
2021 Collectively Bound – LaVerne Krause Gallery, Eugene, Oregon
Residencies
2026 Anderson Ranch AIR, Snowmass Village, Colorado (forthcoming)
2025 Center for Photography at Woodstock AIR, Kingston, New York
Funds and Awards
2025 Student Prize: Top 25 to Watch (2025), LENSCRATCH
2025 Student Project Award, Film Photo Award
2025 Art of Research Winner, Cultural Insights and Interpretations, The Graduate School, University at Buffalo
2025 Thayer Fellowship recipient, The State University New York System (SUNY)
2025 Frances R. And Louis B. Morrison Memorial Scholarship Fund, University at Buffalo, SUNY
2025 Generator Fund: Kinetic Grant, The Buffalo Institute for Contemporary Art (BICA), funded by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts
2023 Frances R. And Louis B. Morrison Memorial Scholarship Fund, University at Buffalo, SUNY
Lectures and Talks
2025 Meet the Artist Lecture, Center for Photography at Woodstock (CPW), Kingston, New York
2025 Artist Talk, CEPA Gallery, Buffalo, New York
2025 Thayer Day, Thayer Fellowship Finalist Presentation, New York
Misael Hernandez 