TWO HOMES
The images in this series were taken in August of 2018. The first visit to Nicaragua I had been able to make in three years came at a time of political fracture and unrest. In April of that year, in response to changes to the social security net of the country, protests composed mainly of retirees and youth were met with violence from government forces.
There was a great number of casualties among the protesters and many young protesters had to flee the country in order to avoid being illegally detained by the government.
As I contemplated what was originally meant to be a return to see family and friends, I found those same family members fearing for my safety. Journalists and photographers had also been targeted in the protests and I found that the camera that would normally not leave my side was a hazard to my safety.
So, when I traveled, I decided to forgo my usual digital gear and only make use of a Fuji Instax Wide 300. It was at this time I also decided to turn the lens inward and document slivers of my life growing up in "two homes" in the separate identities and location of my Nicaraguan mother and American father.
The images that follow are meant to be displayed as diptychs, with each set having an overarching theme in their similarity or difference.