Artists You Need to Know: Patricio Robayo- Photographer (New York City) -

In 2012, I started working as a photojournalist for a community newspaper covering the Bronx. It was the first time that I truly explored my borough. Growing up in the Bronx and seeing how the borough is portrayed in movies and television it made me have a narrow view of what was around me. In working as a photojournalist I was able to explore and discover for myself different parts of the borough and see the diverse life that makes up the Bronx.

I became privy to the numerous heterogeneous cultures and races that call this borough home. No longer did I see these communities, including my own, through misconstrued and stereotypical lenses; I saw them rather as something that was wholly new and worth exploring. And the more jobs I took, the more I learned and appreciated each job, as each was different and brought forth a new lesson and a new experience. The photographs in this collection reveal the many facets that I was introduced to during my time as a photojournalist.

As a photographer, I feel as though I am exploring my own life through my photographs. In doing so, I am able to better explore not only who I am, but the world around me.

I enjoy creating projects that help me put things into perspective. I have been quite fortunate to find a medium that allows me to express myself and have a voice. This is the world as I see it; this is what I think is important. I want to make it formal and I want to make it beautiful.

Patricio Robayo is a photographer who was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. His work consists of both portrait and editorial photography. His work has been featured in publications such as La Voz, The Queens Courier, The Manhattan Times, The Bronx Times Reporter and The River Reporter.