Bio:

Born and raised at the foot of the South American Andes to a family of generational farmers, I was exposed to native oral histories; pre-Columbian indigenous ritual art and cosmologies; magical realism experiences; and sociopolitical upheaval. I have a Liberal Arts degree from New York University. I have completed coursework in photography from The School of Visual Arts and The International Center of Photography; archaeology and anthropology from The City College at CUNY; and writing and music history from Columbia University. Backgrounds in photojournalism, portrait, editorial and commercial photography inform my fine art photography practice. I live and work in New York City.

Artist Statement:

Titled Vessels, this ongoing series was initially inspired by my reaction to the policy of separating children from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border during the previous U.S. administration. The series is evolving into a stream-of-consciousness visual metaphor invoking the treacherous yet lyrical journey of the immigrant who crosses continents, oceans and borders in a utopian attempt to enter an unwelcoming West.

Driven by personal histories and inquiries, I photograph the individual in the street and their habitat to create site-specific visual ethnographies [non-exclusively] referencing political identity, culture, power, history and socioeconomic class.

Website: ma9.co | @ydobon9

Course: Trends in Contemporary Art: What’s Happening Now | PHC-2432-A

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