08/24/2026
📸: My Papas by Janelle Rivas, 18
“This project is a love letter to my brother. After nearly 17 years under one roof, new experiences await us as we enter adulthood together. Our individual perspectives of what it means to be Angelinos have combined over the years to create one blended experience.”
ABOUT JANELLE
Janelle Rivas is an 18-year-old Latina artist based in LA who hopes to pursue photography professionally in the future. Janelle uses photography as a tool to navigate the process of connecting with her femininity. While implementing themes from her culture, she uses herself, her environment, and her friends and family as subjects. Janelle uses creative modes of expression to create a safe space in which she is able to navigate certain complex emotions that might not be easy to put into words.
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“My Papas” by Janelle Rivas is part of ESY’s Spring 2026 exhibition ‘Childhood Nostalgia’ incorporated in our group exhibition ‘RAISED IN LA.’ Centered around reflection of early memories through images of place, objects, and people that we hold dear to our hearts.
Currently on view at our gallery