GABRIELA MUNIZ

Porque Tengo Sed is a continuation of a series I started in 2023. I have been photographing my grandmother in her apartment where she has been living for over two decades, and exploring her relationship with her son, my uncle, and his drinking problems.

Alcohol is part of every culture, including in my Mexican heritage. Alcohol is meant to loosen you up and provide a good time, or a way to cope with different situations. With my uncle, alcohol became his best friend. This was not only affecting himself and his health, but also his relationships with his family.

Growing up, it was normal for all my uncles to drink at every party and get wasted until the next morning. It wasn’t until I was in middle school, I noticed how serious my uncle’s alcoholism was. It’s all fun and games during parties until the beer becomes a part of you. It’s the constant leaving the house during the middle of the night coming home until the next day all beat up. The endless empty beer bottles piling up in his room. The beer has taken over his life. There’s not a day or night where my uncle doesn’t have a beer in his hand. He has been isolating himself from everyone. Even though he is physically there, he is not present.