Ilse Cabanillas, studied law at the Universidad del Valle de México, is a self-taught photographer who finds inspiration in the sunny lands of Hermosillo, Sonora (1996). Born and raised in this region, Ilse uses photographic storytelling as a creative tool to give voice to untold stories and find her identity in the vast visual world.

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Although her photography education is primarily self-taught, Ilse Cabanillas has participated in workshops of the Centro Fotográfico Manuel Álvarez Bravo, such as "Writing and Development of a Photographic Project" with Julio Barrita and "The New Normality From My Perspective" with Alfredo Estrella.

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In her work, Ilse aims to capture the convergence of diverse cultures in Sonora in a captivating way. Each image is a visual testimony that goes beyond mere representation, exploring the complexity of traditions intertwined in this corner of northern Mexico. Through her projects, the Sonoran desert becomes a stage enriched by the stories of migration and rootedness that she captures, weaving a visual narrative that reveals the vibrant intersection of two worlds.

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Ilse Cabanillas has brought her work to various stages, consolidating her presence both locally and nationally. Her work has illuminated the walls of the Centro de la Imagen in Mexico City (2022) and the Centro Cultural Minero in the same city (2022), finding space in the Palacio de Cultura Tlaxcala (2023) in Tlaxcala, Mexico. Locally, in Hermosillo, she has left her mark in the Francisco Eusebio Kino gallery at the Casa de la Cultura, Sonora (2021), as well as in the Museo de Arte de Sonora MUSAS (2023), the Palacio Municipal de Hermosillo (2023), and Plaza Hidalgo in Hermosillo, Sonora (2023). Additionally, she has exhibited at the 1MISSION Gala at the Phoenix Art Museum (2023). Her contribution extends beyond physical galleries, as she has participated in the creation of the photobook "Fuera de Foco, Fotografía y Derechos Humanos" edited by the Dirección General de Derechos Humanos de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación and Centro de la Imagen (2022).