Manuel A. Hernandez Rivera's practice centers on understanding, dissecting, and searching for traces left by the interaction between humans and their surroundings — questioning how these traces are preserved, valued, and transformed by time. His work primarily employs images as source material to explore themes of tradition and value, and how these intersect with domestic settings.

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He perceives image as an artificial creation that has permeated every aspect of human experience, making it a relevant lens through which to understand human detritus. This seemingly static material possesses plastic and malleable properties that emerge once its original qualities (context, color, medium, format, material, etc.) are altered. Through these variations, his work seeks to generate new meanings and narratives from material commonly perceived as outdated or obsolete.

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Hernandez's practice spans a variety of mediums and techniques, driven by the continuous translation and transcription of existing information onto new surfaces. This process is guided by a naive curiosity that resists certainty or definitive answers, embracing reinterpretation as a way to build new relationships between appropriated and newly created materials.