Portrait nominee

A little over twenty years ago, my parents emigrated from Mexico to North Carolina, which coincided with the first large wave of undocumented Mexican immigrants to the state, allowing the Latino population in the state to double, and in turn, making it home to one of the fastest- growing Latino populations in the country. Because of my parents’ and other Latinos’ relationship to labor, they determine the aesthetics of the landscape in two distinct ways. The first is through its literal construction and maintenance. Essentially, they become artists of the landscape. The second form manifests itself reflexively as a result of their presence, especially in rural communities. Their performance in the visual landscape shifts the way we view North Carolina. They bring the traditions of their countries of origin with them, which creolizes the area, visually and linguistically. For immigrants, the South, with its blueberries, watermelons, sweet potatoes, and scuppernong grapes, isn’t some alien or prosaic territory—it’s a region full of the same variegation and wonder that makes Latin America so appealing.

Diego Camposeco is a Mexican-American artist (sometimes using light) from Burgaw, NC whose photography and videos explore the interactions among labor, identity, language, color, and the environment. He received his BFA in studio art with highest honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has worked in Brazil, Mexico, and the United States. He has exhibited his works in several galleries and museums including the Nasher Museum of Art and the Cameron Art Museum.