Red, green, and blue

What pieces or projects have you been working on lately?
I was working on a series of nighttime analog photographs commissioned by a Chinese restaurant in Mexico City. It was a lot of fun because I set out to find scenes that blended Chinese and Mexican culture while also fitting my preferred photographic style. I'm from the north (Mexicali, Baja California), and the typical food here is Chinese, so I found it interesting to highlight this fusion that's part of our daily lives, like finding a corn cocktail cart outside a Chinese restaurant or a member of a norteño band wandering around Chinatown playing the accordion.

What did you learn (or unlearn) while working on them?
Precisely that, there are things or scenes that here in my daily life or context seem very normal and that from the outside may seem more interesting; we never know who might be watching out there and be interested in what is done here.

What words, ideas or emotions were going through your head?
Fusion, cinematic, nostalgia, everyday life. The colors red, green, and blue.

Were there any conversations, movies, music, or books that made their way into that work?
Not for this one specifically, but a book that really seeps into the narrative of what I'm trying to convey is "La Feria" by Juan José Arreola. I always imagine the scenes described there and I wish I could have photographed them. The book doesn't have a single protagonist; it's a succession of voices, anecdotes, and whispers that, together, piece together the puzzle of this municipality, Zapotlán el Grande. That inspired me not to try to find a single "grand image" that defines Mexicali, but rather to capture many scenes that are pieces of a whole, an archive of fragments: a neon sign, a corner with an altar, a table in a bar, or some trivial object. I try to make each post I make a visual micro-story that, as I scroll through my feed, composes my perception of this border municipality.

What's your favourite restaurant and why do you like going there?
A ramen from Haikuit's amazing, the best ramen in Mexicali. Besides being a restaurant, it has a second floor that's a local art gallery, so while you wait for your food or after eating you can go and explore it and discover new artists.

Recommend one or more artists you follow who inspire you, and tell us what you like most about their work or their way of working.
Some of my favorite Mexican artists are:

• photographer Noel Rojo because of his striking ability to capture scenes that sometimes I think can't be real; and because of how carefully every element that makes up the photo is: it almost seems as if people are posing for it on purpose, it's incredible.

• I am also inspired by the work of painter Miguel Gonzalez, his works reflect all the scenes I long to find on the street when I go out to take photos, and I also think he has a unique style. 

• another artist whose work I love is Kina Callejas, she explores every corner of Mexico City and finds incredible scenes, whether in photographs or short videos.