My work addresses the expression of social issues in contemporary society. It highlights the impact of the Trump Administration’s decision to flag and ban certain words from official government websites. Terms such as immigrant, Hispanic, men, mental health, ethnicity, equality, Latinx, and others that are closely connected to my identity. Learning about this censorship left me feeling silenced, as though I could no longer share my experiences or express my true self. To convey this message, I began by photographing myself wearing a bandana over my mouth. I then digitally transformed the image, turning the photograph into a charcoal-style artwork and replacing the bandana with the American flag. To further emphasize my heritage, I wore a traditional Mexican Guayabera shirt in the portrait.
