ARTIST STATEMENT
I was born in Washington, D.C., and spent my early years in the Adams Morgan neighborhood, where my parents and grandmother had recently settled after immigrating from Guatemala. We later moved to Gaithersburg, Maryland, to a neighborhood where many other recent immigrants from Central America lived. Growing up, I was surrounded by friends and family who were familiar with what it meant to live at the margins of society. That experience shaped the way I look at the world and contributed to my interest in people, places, and objects that are often overlooked. I am drawn to the "little things" and to the possibility of making something meaningful out of what might otherwise seem ordinary or insignificant.
Photography became a natural way for me to explore that interest because of its immediacy and accessibility. I began by photographing what was around me and soon became fascinated by the visual qualities of both natural and man-made subjects. A flower, a rusted fence, a reflection, or a weathered surface can become interesting when viewed closely. I am especially drawn to the ways sunlight, wind, water, and time alter the appearance of these subjects. I rarely feel the need to search far for something to photograph because I believe there is value in paying closer attention to what is already nearby.
In my work, I use close observation, cropping, and changes in perspective to make familiar subjects appear less familiar. Details that might normally go unnoticed can become the focus of an image, while recognizable forms can shift into texture, color, pattern, and abstraction. Some photographs remain clearly connected to their subjects, while others become more ambiguous. I am interested in this balance because it encourages viewers to spend more time looking and to reconsider what they may have initially dismissed as ordinary.
Ultimately, my work is about attention. I want to show that meaning and beauty can be found in places and objects that are easy to overlook. By isolating small details and capturing fleeting changes in light, weather, and surface, I hope to encourage viewers to look more carefully at the world around them. In doing so, I also want to question what is considered worthy of being photographed, what can be considered art, and who gets to be called an artist.