Childhood is one of the most important periods in a person’s life. As we grow older, we often become consumed by responsibility, routine, and the pressure of adulthood, gradually forgetting how happy and fearless we once were. Yet, fragments of childhood continue to follow us throughout life, through memories, photographs, smells, objects, music, and moments that suddenly transport us back in time. Whether consciously or unconsciously, childhood shapes the people we become.
With The Past is Present, I wanted to encourage viewers to look within themselves and reconnect with who they truly are. The collection explores the idea of reviving the dreams, imagination, and confidence that once came naturally to us as children, before fear, judgment, and limitation began to interfere. As children, we believed in ourselves instinctively. We created without hesitation, dreamed without practicality, and approached life with authenticity. The collection questions what happens to that version of ourselves as we grow older.
While working on this series, I also found myself reflecting on the environment in which I grew up. As a child, I lived in what felt like a protective bubble created by my parents. They sheltered me from many of the hardships they themselves had experienced growing up. Because of that, I genuinely believed the world was kind. I believed people loved one another, that fairness existed naturally, and that most children experienced happiness the same way I did.
Of course, my parents taught me about struggle. I was told stories about poverty, sacrifice, and the realities of life beyond my own experience. My mother shared memories of growing up during the Civil War in El Salvador, and I was reminded that somewhere else, another child might not have food to eat whenever I refused to finish my own plate. But as children, we do not fully grasp the weight of these realities. We build our understanding of the world based on what surrounds us directly. We live day by day within the safety of what we know.
Growing up meant slowly realizing that the world was far more difficult and complex than I once believed. Concepts such as war, suffering, injustice, and cruelty became more real with age and understanding. At the same time, I became increasingly aware that kindness, something that had always been taught to me as natural, is not always guaranteed in the world around us. I was raised to greet people with warmth, to treat others equally, and to lead with compassion because that is how my parents raised me. Witnessing the suffering of others made me realize that many people do not grow up within the same emotional safety or humanity.
These reflections eventually led me toward the next body of work I am currently developing after the Origins series. The project explores the contrast between the innocence of an ordinary childhood moment; a fun day at home, comfort, playfulness, safety, and the reality of war and suffering happening elsewhere at the exact same time. The idea emerged from recognizing the emotional distance that often exists between personal experience and global reality, especially during childhood.
This train of thought also led me to explore several recurring themes throughout The Past is Present.
Innocence vs Adulthood
Childhood exists in the collection as a symbol of authenticity, a period in life where emotions, curiosity, and self-expression existed without restraint. In contrast, adulthood often introduces pressure, routine, and the gradual need to conform to expectations. Through childhood references and realistic imagery, the works examine the tension between the freedom once felt in youth and the emotional weight carried later in life. The collection questions whether growing older means losing parts of ourselves, or simply learning to hide them beneath responsibility and experience.
Dreams vs Limitations
As children, ambition often exists without fear. Dreams feel limitless because they are untouched by failure, judgment, or practicality. The collection reflects on this fearless mindset and contrasts it with the restrictions adulthood can impose, whether through self-doubt, societal expectations, or lived experience. By revisiting symbols connected to youth, the works encourage viewers to remember a time when imagination came naturally and possibilities felt endless. Rather than romanticizing childhood, the collection asks what happens to personal ambition as people grow older, and whether those original dreams ever truly disappear.
Nostalgia as Reflection Rather Than Escape
In The Past is Present, nostalgia is not used as a means of escaping reality, but as a way of understanding it. References to childhood, media, and memory are intended to create reflection rather than simple comfort. Familiar imagery becomes a bridge between past and present, encouraging viewers to confront the emotional impact of their upbringing and the ways it continues to shape their identity. The collection treats memory as something active and living, not frozen in time, but continuously influencing emotions, perspectives, and experiences in adulthood.
As this is my first blog post, I hope it gives you all a deeper insight into what truly inspires this collection and the thoughts behind my work. The Past is Present is more than a reflection on childhood, it is an exploration of identity, memory, and the experiences that continue to shape us long after we grow up. Through this collection, I hope to encourage others to reconnect with the parts of themselves that time, responsibility, and adulthood may have caused them to forget.
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