JORGE OSWALDO AGUIRRE JR.

This series titled, “IM_MIGRANT” explores the powerful imagery being created by the recent influx of immigrants migrating from Central America to the US seeking a better life.

Inspired by his own family’s immigration story, Jorge hopes to both humanize and neutralize negative portrayals of immigrants.

Each piece is based on a photograph depicting a singular moment during recent migrations. He disarms visceral scenes of immigrants in traveling through Mexico by reducing the subjects to shapes and distilling their nationalities down to various shades of skin tone. The scenes are purposefully charged with bright pops of color. Facial details are purposefully omitted.

By purposefully omitted facial details, the viewers focus shifts to the visible logos on the clothing. Ironically, these garments are typically manufactured in the very same Central American countries that are being fled. The use of brand marks also alludes to Jorge’s previous work with logos and corporations.

The works are created using industrial materials like heat-pressed vinyl, reflective and fluorescent inks. Using a combination of both digital and analog processes, the figurative compositions are assembled and arranged by hand. Aguirre also adds a layer of personal connection to each work encoding his own narrative along the way.

Each abstracted scenario hopes to destigmatize what it means to be an immigrant.