Paccarik Orue

Paccarik Orue was born and raised in Lima, Peru and currently resides in San Francisco. As a photographer, he is interested in creating work that stirs emotion about his subjects and that leave the viewer with more questions than answers. He earned his BFA in photography from the Academy of Art University in 2011.

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Richmond, California is a place where many families are struggling with rising unemployment, foreclosure, poverty, and the ensuing violence and substance abuse. This situation has accentuated Richmond’s reputation for being one of the roughest parts of the Bay Area. However, Richmond is also a place where turkeys walk past on the sidewalks, dogs guard their owner’s properties, people ride horses in the park, and fire hydrants cool the hot afternoons.

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During one of my visits, a middle-aged African American woman asked me why I was taking pictures in her neighborhood. I answered that it was beautiful. She responded, “there is nothing beautiful around here.” Beauty and sorrow live side by side in Richmond. This body of work documents this contradiction, the character of the city and the pride of its residents.

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His first monograph, There Is Nothing Beautiful Around Here, will be published by Owl & Tiger Books in October 2012.

View more of Paccarik Orue on his website.