Today we’d like to introduce you to Jesse Hernandez
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Hello Voyage LA – I was born here in South LA, and have been here ever since. I have immigrant parents who came to the US in the 1980’s and so I have Honduran and Guatemalan blood. My childhood felt very privileged being that both my parents owned a garment factory that was very successful. I was raised in a christian household, so there were always limits to having certain things and also doing certain things. I always remembered being creative growing up; through drawing, painting, or making unconventional things. I was pushed into the arts when I turned 8. My parents put me into a music school to learn saxophone in which I truly struggled in. I was literally an 8 year old studying music theory with people ages 18+. I studied music here for about 6 years entering high school and still played music then. I entered college in pursuit of studying music performance in LACC. This was where I felt my life was going downhill. I was going through a lot interpersonally and was questioning if I truly wanted to study music. I felt that people expected me to study music because I was told I was great, but I asked myself “Am I doing this because others are telling me too?”.
Because of this, I made pretty bad choices in my life; I ditched and failed my courses, and wasted 2 semesters of school. I felt bad afterwards because my parents were paying for my education. My parents factory took a huge toll during the 2008 economy crash, so financially we weren’t doing well. I felt I disappointed my parents because I wasted a year of college, let alone their money. I took a break from school for a semester to try and figure out myself and how to proceed in life next. I went to El Camino College with a fresh slate and started pursuing Sociology, with the goal of becoming a social worker. I did my 2 years to transfer, and I remember my last semester being in my Woman Studies class when we got the global alert that COVID was on the rise. I didn’t think much of it as I’m sure everyone else did, and proceeded to stay home. This thing that we thought was going to be a random phase turned out to be something that would impact all norms of life. I finished the rest of the semester, and was transferring to Cal State Dominguez Hills. I felt accomplished because that was the furthest I’ve gotten with my education.
Upon starting my courses at Dominguez Hills, this was the first full experience shifting online. I’ll be honest, it made me super lazy. I would wake up 5 minutes before my class and just open up my laptop. Would I fall asleep during lectures? Duh of course. This career path didn’t last long though. I remember having a professor named Dr. Willy, and at the start of the lecture, I can tell how exhausted he looked. Maybe like 15 minutes into his lecture, his 2 kids come barging into his office space screaming. He stepped out for a moment and came in holding his sleeping baby. He ended up breaking down on us, telling us that this major (Sociology) is not worth it. He went on to speaking about his wages, the amount of debt he has accumulated, and telling us that his kids might have to pay for his debt in the future. It was such an eye opening experience. So I made the choice then and there that I am not pursuing this. I didn’t finish the semester, and began looking for the next path.
During this time, I was working with my aunt in La Verne in her shoe repair shop “Andy’s Shoe Repair” for some extra money. My uncle had an old Canon Rebel camera that he sold to me for 300$. What I thought would just be a hobby became a passion. I started taking photos with friends, my family, having random photo themes, and shooting for my cousins music. I also ended up teaching myself how to use all the Adobe softwares through youtube. I really felt that I was tapping into my creative mind with my camera. I started working at a Law Firm in Glendale, which by the way, it was the peak of COVID. And while working full-time, I was also going to school full-time at PCC just trying to get my electives to transfer. It was really difficult. I was working the typical 9-5, but also taking strictly art classes. And you know with art classes, it’s not your simple “let me google the answer”. I knew that with just one semester, I was already able to transfer, so I ended up applying to schools that offered the Photography major. I was very fortunate to get accepted into Long Beach, but specifically the BFA Photo program. I think back, and sometimes I wish I could change things or change the decisions I made. But truthfully speaking, I’m thankful for those experiences, because they have made me the person I am today.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Oh absolutely not! I envy those who have said life has been easy. There were many obstacles that were either financial, societal like COVID, and even just personal. A lot of life choices I made really backtracked things for me, along with tarnishing my relationships with friends and family. When I started college at 18, I was making bad choices for myself and it also stemmed from bad influences. I don’t know if it was just my rebellious stage or I got carried away with college liberty. Whatever the case is, my life after high school was hard.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a creative photographer and I’m almost done with my BFA in Photography. Typically, when people hear BFA (Bachelor in Fine Art), they assume the person only does “art stuff”. Well I’ll have you know I specialize in both the conceptual and commercial side of photography. I try to find a balance in both, especially in this economy where I feel it’s necessary. I’m fully aware that art won’t pay the bills. I delve in both digital and film photography while also experimenting with different photo processes.
I feel like I’m known for my artistic and documental approach with photos. I am also known for my cyanotyping, which is an old method of printing photos. This was a process I learned while working on my degree. Historically, cyanotyping was the inexpensive process of making photos. It has this really bright blue finish and it requires the use of either the sun or UV rays. I also have taught myself how to sew, and I always try blending both sewing and cyanotyping for my artwork. I tend to create my own shirts, tailor my pants, and make tote bags and finish by printing images on them with cyanotyping. My interest in sewing stemmed from my parents experiences working in the garment industry. I was about 5-6 years old when I started helping them when it got very busy. During the time, I was oblivious to the experiences and conditions of the factory. But after seeing the long-term physical damage this job has had on my mother, I decided to explore this space. I’ve found many factories hidden in DTLA and have entered a few. I’ve met so many wonderful people and have developed a connection with them. Their stories matter! And so I’ve set a goal for myself to give a voice to the countless immigrants working in these poor conditions. I don’t want to exploit the high end clothing brands, let alone the workers, but I hope to demonstrate what happens behind the scenes. And I can say I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve found my passion. I recently had a solo show where I shared this work, and the reception I received was incredible. This is a body of work that I will never stop working on.
How do you think about luck?
I genuinely don’t think luck has played any role in my life. Everything that I have now and the craft that I have developed has come from the amount of time and work I’ve put in, the support from friends and loved ones, and God. I can’t be more blessed.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @jessandezz
Image Credits
Photo Credit to Tanya Sanchez-Ramirez
