Janine Mapurunga is a Brazilian documentary photographer and filmmaker whose work centers on community, memory, and cultural identity. Raised by her entrepreneurial grandmother in a small town in the Brazilian countryside, she grew up immersed in handmade traditions that continue to shape her artistic practice.

She received her first camera at age ten, a Christmas gift from her grandmother, and has been documenting stories ever since.

Working in community-based art since 2003, Mapurunga studied photography and cultural anthropology at Sacramento City College and UC Davis, and later pursued graduate studies in visual culture at the University of Barcelona. She has developed socially engaged art projects in the United States and abroad for over 20 years.

She met the Manitos elders group in 2019 during a City of Sacramento public art project. After her grandmother’s sudden passing at age 92, their friendship deepened, inspiring Bien Juntitos, her first film and most personal project to date.