Hi! My name is Esteban Aguilar,
I was born and raised in San Diego, California, and had a Jewish upbringing through both my parents who were immigrants from Guatemala, Central America. As a child I was an inquisitive, introspective and observant individual that was always fascinated by the beauty of the natural world which surrounded me.
On September 11th 2007 my parents were detained and a couple months later, deported back to their home country. I left the U.S. to stay alongside my parents, little did I know that that decision would alter my entire perspective. Four years later I returned to the U.S. to continue my education but I would see society by its true colors now. As a teenager I felt the need to express myself and everything that I've experienced and witnessed in my life within society.
I found photography and poetry to be the best mediums to express my perspectives and share my experiences. Whenever I'd have the chance to document the protests within my city of San Diego, it would fuel my urge to no longer stay silent about my experiences. To visualize my concepts I sketch my thoughts on paper, which I then recreate with the camera. My goal with my work is to always raise awareness towards social and psychological issues that I've experienced or witnessed within this society known as the United States of America.