Photographer Kevin Serna’s father immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico in the late 70’s. Growing up in a predominantly white suburb outside of Chicago, Serna always sense the cultural difference between them—“at times painfully so”, he explains.

Born from a curiosity about the place that shaped his father’s identity, “La Presa” explores the small mountain town of Presa de los Serna in Aguascalientes, Mexico—a town that left a lasting impression on Serna’s father. Through the process of photographing, Serna confronts their relationship:

“In these observations, my father is almost never directly photographed, but simply a character at the edge of the frame, guiding me into the world I believe he truly inhabits. Through these photographs, mutual empathy and realizations emerge and the divide mends. This is how I am able to truly know my father.” 

See more from “La Presa” below!