Cesar Aranda, awarded for his composition and message.

The judge of the Fifth World College Photography Contest in Leon acknowledged the composition, color, and message of the images captured by Cesar Aranda, a student of the UANL School of Visual Arts.

Having obtained third place in the Fifth World College Photography Contest, Cesar Fernando Aranda Nuño, a sixth-semester student at the UANL School of Visual Arts, also fulfilled one of his main objectives as an artist: to portray the Raramuri community, which is based in the Sierra Tarahumara, where he volunteered during his teenage years.

Being born in Mexicali, Baja California, Aranda Nuño was studying graphic design and architecture back in his homeland but decided to move to Nuevo Leon to study something more related to his passion: art.

“I originally came from Mexicali. I studied graphic design and architecture, but I noticed that it was a school more focused on design than on artistic proposals. I spent three semesters at the school and then I left looking for a place in Baja California to study something related to film or storytelling, but I couldn’t find it.

The Fifth World College Photography Contest in Leon, Guanajuato, had as its main axis the theme of affection and peace to recover the world.

His first images

The Fifth World College Photography Contest was held within the framework of the International Photography Festival of Leon, Guanajuato, and the invitation to participate in it came at the behest of a teacher from the school. Being the first time that he participated in a photography competition.

His message was acknowledged
As time went by, Cesar Fernando overcame his own barriers and at the last minute decided to upload his pictures to the virtual site of the contest. Material that the judges would end up awarding for its composition, color, and message.

“I found a volunteer program with the Marist community. I was in charge of supporting elementary school children and I realized that there was a great educational backlog because some sixth graders still couldn’t read or write,” he said.

I always relied on art to keep going despite all the obstacles. I used to draw a lot and I could hardly do it there because there was no electricity. I brought my camera with me and I felt ashamed. I felt intimidated when I took pictures of adults. I didn’t know I was doing documentary photography. When I took the photo that won the award, I had already been there for almost a year and I took it after school, where the children sleep because it’s like a boarding school”.

Cesar Fernando Aranda Nuño