Photographs as Thread
My work explores my upbringing as a child disconnected from my ancestral roots. I ground my work in themes of assimilation, family, memory, and mysticism of my Mesoamerican ancestors. Collage is prominent in my portfolio: strips of inkjet paper weave in and out of portraits, empowering my subjects with ancestral armor. The patterns in my work often originate from blankets that wrapped me as a child and passed across generations, across borders, across apartments. With backdrop stands and strobes, I photograph these textiles to conjure and honor the spirits of my Guatemalan matriarchs.
The woven masks in my work symbolize the constriction I experienced navigating masculinity as a child. The threads of these portraits extend beyond the canvas, challenging the borders of the self.