Esta Soy Yo:
Beyond The Surface
The journey to understanding and acceptance of self is an inalienable right, its many roads and forms compounding over a lifetime. Few of these roads will stand as paramount as one’s exploration of gender identity, an exploration which is being raised out of the dark with each new generation. Our cultures, our families, the societies we are born into continue to influence the impact gender carries on individual lives.
Esta Soy Yo explores, through photo based mixed-media art, the meaning of gender on an individual basis, how it has shaped the artist through experiences kind and unkind, painful and revelatory. Self expression resides unchangeably at the core of gender identity, and so it does at the core of art, and Esta Soy Yo brings the matter of self expression in gender, as well as the influences of those who surround us, to lay bare at the forefront of this exhibition.
TEACHING ARTISTS: Coffee Kang & Gabrielle Biasi
TEACHING ARTIST ASSISTANT: Jax Borrego
MENTORS: Andrew Lau, Cecilia Arana, Chloe Cusimano, Chris Behroozian, Enzo F Perez Alonso, Juli Perez, Kat Contreras, Liz Chavez, Marshall Long, Rebeca Castillo, Sie Rosa Romero, Sonia Sanchez, & Stephanie Irineo
FEATUred
Photographers
Aaliyah Calderon
Ailyn Betancourt
Alejandra Martinez Cortes
Anahi Garay
Chelsea Marin
Daria Salazar
Diana Marie Carballo
Dianna Machado
Emma Gonzalez
Ezra Nunez
Hailey Barajas
Janelle Rivas
Jocelynne Serrano
Josefina Chavez
Lauren Cho
Marilynn Ramos
Maya Reyes
Meyuh Gonzales
Miranda Aquino
Sara Arana
Sawyer Sariñana
Starla Mendoza
Valerie Arrieta
Yajaira A. Valverde
Aaliyah Calderon, age 17
ABOUT ME
Aaliyah Calderon is a 17-year-old photographer who grew up in the heart of East Los Angeles. She is a first-generation Mexican-American teenage girl who has always enjoyed photography. Her work always caught her family‘s attention. Her mother encouraged her, continually telling her that anything is possible along the way during her photography journey. She supported Aaliyah‘s creativity by passing along the camera to her. Aaliyah always had a passion for photography and finally found a space to share her work and learn new skills. Outside of Las Fotos she enjoys hiking, journaling, reading, and spending time with family and friends. Her work showcases people, nature, herself and the repression of culture. Esta Soy Yo has expanded not only her knowledge but also her ability to grow in shooting self portraits and explore what she is trying to tell in her work.
Sequence of Emotions
This is a young teenage girl who expresses herself in many different ways. Physical love and wanting to always put herself first, and also through care of her well-being with things she enjoys doing (whether it is reading or spreading love with a kind gesture) with the energy she brings during these sequences of emotion. This young teen always feels trapped with all these emotions but expresses herself to not feel trapped in a box as she once was.
Ailyn Betancourt, age 18
Bamboo Baby
During times of growth, we find courage to remove ourselves from negative influences. Although painful and sometimes heartbreaking, it is rewarding to fully experience our needs and dreams through a lens of self-betterment. We begin to see who we really are, what we stand for, and who/what we love. Like bamboo, our growth occurs beneath the surface. However as humans, we're able to personalize our internal growth. We have the power to acknowledge our identity and agency to pursue our dreams.
ABOUT ME
Ailyn Betancourt is a student photographer and cinephile. Born and raised in South Central L.A., Ailyn attends Santa Monica College, pursuing her love of film in addition to her extracurricular commitments at Las Fotos Project and Self Help Graphics in Boyle Heights. Growing up, Ailyn was exposed to poverty, high crime rates, and homelessness within her community and was seldom exposed to the arts. However, her youth experiences have inspired her to transform that adversity into the goal of bringing the power of art back to her community. Ailyn strives to build an artistic platform for herself, that of a young woman experiencing the rich culture in the primarily black and brown community of South Central. Ailyn is intent on spreading love and challenging the stereotypes assigned to the people of South Central. She finds all of the inspiration she needs right in her backyard, highlighting the beauty of the life of an Angeleno.
Alejandra Martinez Cortes, age 17
ABOUT ME
I, Alejandra Martinez Cortes, am a Mexican L.A.-based artist who grew up in an artistic family from the jump. I indulge in Mexican culture, celebrating life‘s bad and good. I work in multiple mediums. I’m a painter, printmaker, sculptor, and fashion designer and I incorporate this into my photography. I will be fascinated by a song and think about how it makes me feel, or I see things that become part of my creative juice. As an artist, I like for my work to represent my love and hatred of greed, arrogance, exploitation, and how that completely ruins a person or community. My art reflects me as a person who fluctuates in emotions every day. My art style is expressionist and almost always contains a story or theme.
Luchadora
Masculine femininity has been the only gender identity I have known since I was born. My mother, my representation of femininity, had never been into girly things. Makeup made her uncomfortable, dresses and flats made her feel beautiful. Never one to be afraid to get her hands dirty, she has the ability to protect herself and do everything a man is destined to do, 100 times better. She has taught me how to be stronger than a man while doing it elegantly.
Anahi Garay, age 14
ABOUT ME
Anahi Garay (she/her) is a Mexican-American photographer who lives and is based in L.A. She loves the sea and warm colors and her family. She is 14 years old and a freshman at Early College Academy. Originally given a camera as a hand-me-down gift along with simple directions, she found a curiosity in photography that gradually turned into love. This is her third semester at Las Fotos Project which has helped her find new ways of expressing herself and her culture through new processes and lessons, like alcohol transfers and photo boxes. She wants to keep learning more and find the best fit for her as she continues to make art.
Untitled
During a walk with my sister and her boyfriend, this photo was taken. We were walking on the sidewalk next to the beach. The many flowers that grew on the houses were beautiful and I let them walk ahead, as I wanted to get a photo of both of them walking together.
Chelsea Marin, age 17
ABOUT ME
Chelsea Marin is a 17-year-old photographer born and raised in Los Angeles. She is currently a senior attending Downtown Magnets High School. She enjoys documenting her daily life activities and her friends. She uses color and simplicity to convey happiness and comfort.
Selfhood
This photograph is a small portion of the favorite items that I feel represent me, making this my self-portrait. Although my self-portrait doesn't have my face in it, I believe this photograph can tell you about me just as much as a photo of myself would. The items I chose to display here either represent aspects of my interests, hobbies, or appearance. The image shows the range of my love for collecting, my hobby of running and my favorite makeup product.
Daria Salazar, age 16
ABOUT ME
My name is Daria Lorelai Salazar and I am an artist who lives in East Los Angeles. I am half Mexican and half Filipino. My primary art form is dance, which I am deeply passionate about and have been doing my whole life, but I also love photography, writing, and painting. Reading or listening to music while taking in and interacting with nature—especially the ocean—is one of my favorite pastimes. My main life objectives are to create beautiful, genuine art, travel to all the places I want to see, thoroughly study my passions as much as possible and spend as much time as I can with my incredible loved ones.
Feminine Divinity in the Everyday
This piece highlights the parallels between contemporary women and the women depicted in the high art that surrounded me while on my recent trip to Europe. It conveys the range of femininity, the various facets of the female experience, and my own experiences and observations thus far. I specifically wanted to capture motherhood, the delicacy of girlhood, grit, female melancholy and beauty, and the safety and freedom that sisterhood brings.
Diana Marie Carballo, age 18
ABOUT ME
My name is Diana Marie Carballo, I am a first generation Salvadoran-American. I was born and raised in a neighborhood right next to the heart of Los Angeles’ Echo Park. Creating art has always been an outlet for me to express my feelings and my love for my culture and the family around me. It’s a way to be authentic with myself and break away from any barriers that may be present. I hope to continue sharing pequeños momentos that matter to me through my creative journey and help others feel the warmth and love that comes with being yourself.
Nina Dulce
Transitioning from your adolescent to adulthood years is pretty difficult. One thing that has helped me through this new journey on which I am embarking is remembering my roots and where I come from. I do this by visiting the old spots I grew up in and reflecting upon core memories that shaped me into who I am now. I see myself in this image, a girl from Echo Park who just wants to be the best version of herself.
Dianna Machado, age 16
In Your Dreams
One can hope to go so far. One can dream to make it big in the wide world. One can learn that the less fortunate can only make wishes that seem like fantasies. In the window to the city, from a little room in a little house: A wish, a goal, a dream. Is it possible?
ABOUT ME
Dianna Machado, 16, (she/her) is a Chicana photographer/artist, born and based in Los Angeles and attending Woodrow Wilson High School. She describes herself as a studious artist who is determined to pursue a passionate job in the digital arts field. Though her identity feels to be set in stone, she’s confident to discover untapped regions of her self-image. She often wanders in her imagination and is periodically influenced by her surroundings and feelings for the next art piece or sketch to reflect the beauties of anything life has to offer. Dianna’s photography is most focused and inspired by any nearby sources where ideas strike her best. Machado’s photography reflects her curiosity and hope for her future.
Emma Gonzalez, age 17
Socializing in Solitude
I have counted 127 books in my bedroom. Forty-nine books are on the top shelf. Forty-nine on my second shelf. Sixteen are on my dresser. Thirteen are on a bookcase. I have 17 pencils, 19 pens, 4.5 packs of markers, and 2 pairs of scissors. I spend most of my time alone which doesn’t bother me. Noticing the smallest details has made me understand that no one is alone. There is always something to see or to do.
ABOUT ME
Emma Gonzalez is a young photographer on a path to finding where she belongs. Having just moved to Santa Clarita, she has held onto her identity throughout all the changes in her life. Many of her photos were taken at home in places she found to be safe, like her bedroom. Gonzalez is making strides focusing on her style of photography while practicing with different lighting, various exposure levels, and self-portraits. Growing up, she knew that fitting in was hard and found solace in things such as reading rom-com books, crafting frog figurines with clay, and photographing moments in her life from small to big.
Ezra Nunez, age 13
ABOUT ME
Ezra (she/her/ella) is a 13-year-old trans latinx youth raised on the outskirts of downtown Los Angeles in Historic FilipinoTown and Boyle Heights. Los Angeles is her home, deeply and truly. She loves photography, music and art.
Her photography is driven by Love. Love of the city she grew up in, Love poured into her, and the greatest Love of all: SELF.
From a young age she has been drawn to architecture, cityscapes and silhouettes of downtown. She believes you can learn a lot about a society by the structures it has built, both literally and theoretically. She finds solace in the duality and fluidity of her city; she knows them and they know her. She has felt lonely here, beautiful here, and has celebrated milestones here. Her city has taught her humility, through the raw warmth and utter cruelty that performs a delicate ballet before her lens.
Los Angeles (they/them)
Los Angeles comforts me and taunts me at the same time. Sometimes people describe Los Angeles as a woman, but I know better. They have both masculine and feminine traits. None at the same time. They are non-binary. I see an honest reflection of both beauty and decay. I have always felt a freedom inside their limits, walking their streets, and driving through their tunnels. They have taught me I can be me, ever-changing. For my city, I am a reflection of you.
Hailey Barajas, age 19
Untitled
This project is the debut of my poem “to me, for me, by me,” and the debut of my series “la payasita.” The baby photos represent my innocence, my inner me. My payasa makeup represents how clowns paint on fake happy faces or still try to hold onto that childlike feeling. I’ve always felt like I had to grow up too fast, so this project is a homage to little me and an appreciation to me now.
ABOUT ME
My name is Hailey Barajas aka Pluto. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. I am 19 years old, GuataSalviexican, and currently attending Pasadena Community College in hopes of getting my cosmetology license and a degree in child psychology. I also want to keep pursuing photography. Portraiture and event photography is something I would love to continue to work towards. One of my goals is to honor my dad and make him proud through my work. I love to honor and show off my community, background, lifestyle, ethnicity, etc. through my photos. In addition to my father and my background, I also love to incorporate my inner child into my photos and daily life. I believe a lot of us felt the need to or HAD to grow up too quickly. I enjoy honoring little me through my photos, as it is she that I get my imagination and ideas from.
Janelle Rivas, age 15
ABOUT ME
Janelle Rivas is a Guatemalan-American high school student from the eastside of Los Angeles. In her early youth, Janelle felt uninhibited by the pressure of societal norms. However, coming into her early teens, she felt convinced that she was only capable of performing certain preconceived ideals of girlhood. Now as a sophomore, Janelle is challenging herself by engaging with the topic of gender identity at Las Fotos Project. Using photography as a tool for self-expression, Janelle is on a journey of intimately exploring her coming-of-age years as a Latina girl growing up in L.A. Janelle is discovering what femininity means to her through her life experiences while honoring principles of femininity that have been passed on to her by many wonderful women in her life. She’s inspired by the power of photography to illuminate how we differentiate from one another while simultaneously showing how we are bonded by likeness.
ENTRE LOS LAZOS
My final project “ENTRE LOS LAZOS” explores where color and textiles intersect with fashion and beauty. Considering how textiles and crafts made by women, minorities and Indigenous people have historically been left out of contemporary art discussions, I’ve purposefully included colorful textiles reminiscent of my mayan/latina heritage in my self-portraiture. This project was intended to capture how I express my interpretation of femininity while also recognizing my heritage.
Jocelynne Serrano, age 18
ABOUT ME
My name is Jocelynne Serrano (she/her); I am a Latina born and raised in Boyle Heights. I have always enjoyed art, but most importantly, photography. It‘s something I hold close to my heart because photos live forever. Photography allows me to glimpse the life others have lived, and someday, future generations will know me through my photographs. I love still-life photography, mainly when it involves personal objects. Those types of pictures are my favorite since the items represent the photographer.
Blossoming
Throughout my life, I’ve had trouble stepping in front of a camera. The endless thoughts of, “When will I stop being afraid?” The feeling of overcoming something that seems so minuscule yet something that eats away at me, has transformed into a feeling of love. Love towards myself, and love towards life. As a flower, I blossom and continue to grow every day and with every new experience.
Josefina Chavez, age 17
I'm Still Here.
This image is part of one of my bodies of work titled “Erased.” This project was photographed in the Fall of 2023. My family has lived in Echo Park for over 60 years and I've been fortunate enough to grow up in the same neighborhood and original house as them. This project captures and explores the essence of my childhood home, the remains of my beloved neighborhood where I still remain, and the idea of memory erasure caused by gentrification.
ABOUT ME
My name is Josefina Chavez and I am a multimedia artist from Echo Park in Los Angeles. I take inspiration from my lifestyle being a first-generation Mexican and from the influence that growing up in Los Angeles has had on me. There’s so much beauty within our streets. The musicians on the streets awaiting their next gig, the old men scratching their lottery scratchers on the bus benches, the low riders awaiting their next cruise, and the Sunday morning oldies that fill the streets on a sunny weekend. It would be brutal to not capture the beauty I see, if I consider another person's perspective who might not see.
Lauren Cho, age 17
ABOUT ME
Lauren Cho (she/her) is a Korean-American photographer from Koreatown, Los Angeles. Through her experience with Las Fotos Project—from the Digital Promotoras class, advancing to Creative Entrepreneurship Opportunities, and currently in Esta Soy Yo—Lauren does more than just capture moments. She brings to life stories often hidden between the lines.
Lauren joined Las Fotos Project in fall 2022, with a desire to learn photography to express the many aspects of her identity. She comes from many different cultures, places, and experiences. From the busy streets of Koreatown to the structured corridors of Pasadena to vibrant Boyle Heights, she captures the rich diversity and connection between each experience that paints her life. Rather than viewing them as disparate themes, Lauren embraces her lived experiences and brings them together as part of her multifaceted identity. She wants to keep representing herself through her photos, the windows into who she is.
Chaos Theory
Living in Koreatown as an only child of Korean immigrants, attending a private girls‘ school in Pasadena, and learning photography in Boyle Heights, I’ve struggled to find my place. Sometimes I belong to all, sometimes none. My senior year has been about embracing the chaos and making connections. Through it, I've learned community is something we actively build, and identity can‘t be confined to a box. I hope to make connections as I weave my place in these intersecting worlds.
Marilynn Ramos, age 14
Emotionlessly Me
The feelings I experience as I get older, change. As I get older, I find more of my personality and figure out who I am and who I want to become. In a way, I feel less and less emotion as I come of age and these photos show a part of the emotionless side to myself. As I get more exposed to the real world, the liveliness and vibrant colors I used to see are no longer there.
ABOUT ME
My name is Marilynn Ramos and I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. I come from a very loving Mexican and Salvadorian family. I am a returning student at Las Fotos Project. I love art very much, which is why I love photography. It allows me to express myself through the camera/lens. I’m very passionate about my work, love what I do, and what I am learning. Other than photography, I love to draw, which is another passion of mine. A fun fact about myself is that my favorite type of music is classic rock. From a young age, I always knew I wanted to become an artist. I am thankful for the support from my family, especially my mom and dad. I have always been fascinated by art and knew this was where I wanted to take my career.
Maya Reyes, age 13
Marigolds
This is a collage of two women in a field full of flowers. I initially pulled inspiration from the flowers themselves, not the people. In the end I realized the collage needed to start with the flowers–how vibrant they were and full of life. My intention was to capture that, but also speak on who I am.
ABOUT ME
Maya Reyes is a 13-year-old Indigenous young woman, based in Pasadena. This is her first year in Las Fotos Project and she is exploring different types of photography but has found herself being drawn to street photography and documentary photography. Maya does Danza Azteca and has been taking many photos of the events she has gone to. The photos she takes allows her to portray her heritage through her images.
Meyuh Gonzales, age 18
ABOUT ME
Meyuh is a Los Angeles artist and photographer who explores different mediums and niches within her art such as handmade items, upcycled objects and clothes and more. Based in the beautiful East Side of L.A., she’s exploring different ways of storytelling through hypnotic portraits and event photography, challenging herself to diversify and advance her skills. She enjoys viewing her photos as expressive statements—capturing the sentiments of the models and conveying the messages they wish to represent, and as reflections of her own artistic voice. Having been surrounded by a community of creatives during her upbringing, she aspires to evolve continuously and envisions her community evolving alongside her. She expresses, "I am passionate about uplifting others and instilling empowerment through my photos."
Decisions Unveiled
Decisions Decisions
Made after no consideration, or many
From one‘s judgment or from those around us
Who do we want to be
What we want others to see
Decisions Decisions
What is your place in this world
What do you want your position to be
Reflect
Or never think about it at all
Deciding who and where you want to be
Never is easy
These Choices
Are ones We have to make.
Miranda Aquino, age 16
ABOUT ME
Miranda Aquino lives in Mid-City Los Angeles and finds comfort in her neighborhood. She is a current junior in high school in South Central. There, she is involved with clubs, programs and crucial classes. Miranda is an arts enthusiast. She participates in a non-profit called “Everybody Dance L.A.” in the MacArthur Park area. Her interests also include filmmaking and script writing, which she hopes to pursue with a focus on stories based on womanhood and Hispanic/Latinx culture. Miranda’s neighborhoods have inspired her to find her identity and reflect on what it means to be a teenage girl. Through art, she hopes to make meaning behind every visual and let it be known that identity is beauty.
Do You See Me? Feel Me?
In this photograph, flowers and models were featured. I planned to portray growth and admiration of presence and feeling unseen and restrained at the same time, similar to life’s different impacts. It is open for various interpretations, in hopes for viewing yourselves through what impacts you personally.
Sara Arana, age 14
ABOUT ME
Hello! My name is Sara (she/her). I am a 14-year-old artist from South East L.A. I am kind of shy at first but tend to warm up after getting to know someone. I love cats, playing piano, watching sad romance movies, Sanrio, volleyball, and different types of fashion styles. I am recently getting into photography and want to find my own niche. I like taking pictures of nature, like flowers, plants, and animals. I also enjoy photographing random objects like newspapers, trash cans and fire extinguishers. I like bringing attention to things most people don’t notice at first glance, like staircases, bookshelves, and maybe even cardboard boxes. I get inspiration from the singer Laufey and the illustrator milkbbi. I’m excited to meet new people with the same interests and photography style as me! :3
Night Walk
After practicing volleyball in a park, I decided to take a walk and noticed the different kinds of lighting in each setting. Shadow wanted to be included.
Sawyer Sariñana, age 16
ABOUT ME
Sawyer Sariñana is a 16-year-old artist from Los Angeles. Inspired by her community in Echo Park, the Dada movement, and the nuances of routine, Sawyer attempts to bridge the abstract of fine art with the intention of commercial work. Her work ranges from conceptual to documentary in its approach, and she is currently focused on using photography in combination with oral interviews and written narrative to tell stories about the fluid youth culture of L.A.. After shooting a season with the Ford Theater and completing a variety of self-produced shoots, she plans to venture into the world of editorial and fine art photography.
Un
New heart/New body
Starla Mendoza, age 13
ABOUT ME
Hello, my name is Starla and I am a 13 year old who has lived in L.A. all her life. I have lived in many different parts of L.A., which really has built many memories for me. I am also able to see how all of these places are slowly changing and starting to become places I don’t remember. I consider myself to be a very creative person due to the amazing people in my life. I have always been drawn to photography since it is a way to show a story not through words but through how you take it in.
The Beautiful Dress
“The beautiful dress” are the words that went through my head when I saw this article of clothing hanging. Now that I am getting closer to being a young adult and farther from being a small child, I feel like this dress has become a way for me to express myself more and show how I am changing in my life.
Valerie Arrieta, age 17
ABOUT ME
My name is Valerie Arrieta, a 17-year-old Ecuadorian-American artist. I enjoy fashion, listening to 80s music, and photography. I've always had a passion for taking photos, whether it was on my digital camera, film camera, or on my phone. Art has always been a creative outlet for me to express my emotions when the world feels overwhelming. I've been known to be a very observant person and always notice and remember the little things about the people I love. Photography allows me to capture those beautiful moments that people don't always show. I'm excited to see where my art takes me in life, and all I will create. My goal is to become a well-known fashion designer, someday have my own collection, and bring life to the sketches that lay in my sketchbook.
Through My Eyes
Growing up, I had always been a shy person and was really uncomfortable with being the center of attention and even worse with being in front of a camera alone. As time went by, my confidence has gone up and down, if I’m comparing myself or picking at flaws. This project challenged me because it was now time for me to be alone with just myself and my camera. I learned a lot from this class and pushed myself to learn photography which felt like a completely new world.
Yajaira A. Valverde, age 16
What's to become of me?
The future is so uncertain. Who will I be in ten years, ten months, ten days?
ABOUT ME
My name is Yajaira Valverde, I go by she/her pronouns, and I'm a 16-year-old Mexican-American photographer. I was born and raised in Los Angeles. I’ve always loved music, literature, and photography which I have used as an outlet for my thoughts and feelings. I’m most inspired by my culture, community, nature, and other artists. I’ve always enjoyed photography and used my phone to take pictures, but I first started using a digital camera last year. I borrowed my parents‘ old camera and was drawn to the therapeutic feeling it brought me. I joined LFP because I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and learn more about how to use my camera. I am immensely grateful for this opportunity and it has greatly helped me creatively and technically.