Madrugando  (2018)
làm việc lâu, làm việc chăm chỉ

selected images from Vietnam
35mm film

The term ‘Madrugando’ is a phrase I grew up with, coming from a Colombian background. I realized through the parallels of my identity and family structures, as well as that of latinx communities that 'Madrugando' is a way of life. In english, 'Madrugando' translates to “Waking up early, working long, working hard.” While understanding the history of the country documented, I have used my practice as a photo based artist to visually interpret 'Madrugando' from my observations in different countries, drawing parallels about humans and the way of life that span and break apart the concepts of borders, languages, and barriers that institutions have placed to make us feel separate, ‘alien’, and ‘other’. If the viewer feels that they recognize the image empathetically, it is because it is just as much their home and their people as it is for anyone else.