My name is Gabriel Rivera, and I am a filmmaker and photographer from the Philadelphia area. I am currently entering my senior year at Temple University, where I study Film and Media Arts.

Growing up in a small town outside Philadelphia has had a lasting impact on the way I view the world. Much of my work is rooted in this desire to document the people and places that raised me and preserving pieces of culture and memory while observing human behavior and expression. Through portraits, candids, and documentary style storytelling, I explore how people communicate identity, emotion, and belonging through both gestures and shared experiences.

My photography and film work have been exhibited in the Bucks County Community College Annual Art Show and Temple Rome's Summer Student Exhibition. These opportunities have strengthened my belief that visual storytelling can serve as both a form of preservation and connection across different backgrounds and experiences.

I create under the persona @fakethehiggs. An identity that began only as an alias, but continues as something I want to grow much larger than myself. The name allows me to approach my work from a place of curiosity and exploration, creating a space where ideas can exist past the boundaries of a single individual. Instead of solely existing as a personal brand, @fakethehiggs serves as an evolving artistic project that can grow alongside each piece and artist it interacts with.