Christian Bustos

Website:

https://www.chrstnbstos.com
christianfh91@gmail.com 

Artist Statement:

My interest in photography began when I discovered the photographs my mother took during the reunion of her siblings here in North America. My mother was raised apart from them in El Salvador and she used photography to depict her family’s culture as she learned to adjust to her new life.  

My mother’s work inspired me to capture candid moments of my family members and friends. As I began to familiarize myself with my camera, I focused my lens on subjects that were reminiscent of my upbringing. 

I was born and raised here in Stockton alongside my brother by my single mother. We grew up in section 8 housing and attended a daycare with the help of government assistance. My experience in this daycare centered me around Black Americans that helped guide and nurture me as my mother worked hard to provide for us. 

My photographs are a visual love letter to the Black lives that supported us during my upbringing. I hope that my photographs depict the resiliency and joy that Black lives possess in my city of Stockton, especially during the BLM movement in the Summer of 2020.