Everything Borrowed
2025
It began in the desert, where I met Juan, a homeless man living in Palm Springs.
At first, our interactions felt tentative.
I was aware of how strange it can be to be watched or drawn, and I wasn’t sure how much trust there would be.
Over time, though, we talked, walked, and spent time together, and Juan became a starting point rather than the sole subject of the work.
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The drawings follow a broader journey shaped by migration and displacement.
While Juan’s story runs through the series, the images also focus on the places that supported or shaped his path: the desert crossing itself, the sponsor who helped him, the small home he lived in for a short time, and the church he eventually left behind.
These moments form a loose narrative, one defined more by movement and uncertainty than by resolution.
Working in black and white allowed the images to feel quieter and more open-ended. The absence of color collapses time and geography, allowing the desert to feel both specific and universal.
The desert becomes both a real place and a metaphor for in-between states—harsh, vast, and unresolved. Homes and institutions appear as temporary pauses rather than destinations.
This series reflects on migration as something lived slowly, day by day, shaped by trust, loss, and the effort to keep moving forward.
