The Change in Us
by David Aquino
bachelor of fine arts, photography major
Fourth Year | Graduation year: 2023
By Your Grace, Best Wishes and For the Better from the The Change in Us series, 2022. (Images courtesy David Aquino)
David Aquino, By Your Grace, from the The Change in Us series, 2022. Archival inkjet print, 50.80 x 60.96 cm. (Image courtesy David Aquino)
David Aquino, Best Wishes, from The Change in Us series, 2022. Archival inkjet print, 50.80 x 60.96 cm. (Image courtesy David Aquino)
David Aquino, For the Better, from the The Change in Us series, 2022. Archival inkjet print, 50.80 x 60.96 cm. (Image courtesy David Aquino)
David Aquino. (Image courtesy David Aquino)
About the Artist
David Aquino (b. 2001) is a photographer born, raised and based in Vancouver, BC, on the unceded and traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Coast Salish peoples.
His work investigates the complications of the self, the longing for home, and the privacy of life. He is interested in how these themes coexist and obstruct the feeling of belonging.
His work has been exhibited and published in Capture Photography Festival (2021-2022) as part of the Stranger Than Fiction exhibition. He also received the Top Photo Student Scholarship (2019) from Artona. He is pursuing a BFA in Photography from Emily Carr University of Art and Design.
ABOUT THE ARTWORK
I’m intrigued by the effect and power a photograph has on us specifically in relation to memory and friendship. However, what happens when we can no longer hold on to those dear to us? In The Change in Us, I revisit archival-charged images investigating the fallout and loss between myself and my friend group.
In this series of works, I try to revive past intimate moments my friend group and I shared through photo manipulation. Once transformed I place the image on carefully replicated backdrops. The images themselves become submerged while extending off of certain elements within the original. The result is my attempt at reimagining and reliving core memories in a fabricated space.
The Change in Us serves as my way of mourning, the loss of connection between my friends and I. While one might deal with severed relationships confrontationally or verbally, I've responded artistically fueled by emotion. These altered images express care for myself and my friends at a distance. We are no longer how we were before, however, the interaction between time, space, past images and the present has allowed me to realize and accept the harsh truth of not being able to hold on to those closest to you.