Artist Feature: Diego Huerta
Meet documentary filmmaker, photographer & artist Diego Huerta.
Born in Monterrey, MX and currently residing in Austin, Diego spent his early art career as a painter, before picking up a camera which ultimately led him to spending over a decade documenting the native peoples of México, rediscovering & sharing forgotten places that hold significant cultural wealth.
“I saw myself as a painter, a muralist, like the great Mexican muralists, Rivera, Siqueiros, and Orozco,” Huerta said. “And I was for a while—painting opened the doors to worlds that only existed in my head, but destiny had another way — the photography. Immediately it was an almost natural, instantaneous connection. The experimentation became something of my day to day; it learns what it did badly and what it did well, taking notes of everything, trial and error. I never had anyone to teach me or take the time to show me the correct technique, so I had to discover it by myself.”
Through his lens, Diego has created an essential photographic archive, with work published by National Geographic and other highly-regarded media outlets in the United States.
“From an early age, I discovered that traveling opens up the perspective of the world and its interaction among humans, and that is how I began to specialize in portrait photography. I have known paths that, without photography, I would have never known — some of those roads controlled by drug cartels or organized crime. Each trip represents a series of risks and obstacles, which I have learned to overcome in one way or another, achieving in each trip my goal, to get the photographs I want. I have learned to trust my instinct. I have learned to know my limits and know how far is sufficient, because you have to know how to be brave and not a fool.”
We hope you’ll join us for the world premiere of Diego’s latest film, Us Charros, at the Lone Star Film Festival in Ft. Worth on November 4, 2024 — more information & tickets HERE.
You can follow along with Diego’s adventures on Instagram @DiegoHuertaPhoto.
Want more? Explore more artist collaborations HERE.
