Gabriel S. Lopez

In my latest body of work, Echo Park, I aim to preserve the essence and culture of my neighborhood as it undergoes gentrification. In 1989, a year after immigrating to the United States, my mother moved into a two-bedroom apartment in Echo Park. She raised me there and we have lived in Echo Park for more than twenty years. Echo Park, located in Northeast Los Angeles, was once a predominantly Latinx, Asian, and working-class neighborhood. However, since the early 2000s, the population of minority residents in Echo Park has severely declined due to gentrification. Many people have been illegally evicted and displaced because they could not afford unjust rent increases. Upscale businesses and luxury housing have gradually taken their place, catering to wealthier, often white newcomers.

Throughout my childhood, I witnessed the loss of people, homes, and businesses that were the backbone of my neighborhood. I never thought I would experience gentrification first hand until 2023, when my home was sold to new owners. The new owners paid my neighbors to move out, and then they remodeled the building. My mother and I were the only tenants able to remain in our home due to tenant protection laws. Within a year, I watched a place dear to my heart become just another property that gentrification profits from. This inspired me to document my neighborhood before it disappears completely. 

I took all of the photographs on foot, revisiting familiar places and exploring new areas. I connected with my community by capturing longtime residents, including friends and elders, architecture, businesses, and the changes reshaping my home. The original residents of Echo Park are underrepresented, particularly in photography. As an artist, I feel responsible to ensure that our experiences are respected and not forgotten. Through this series, I aim to raise awareness of the harmful effects of gentrification on communities of color in Los Angeles, while also highlighting the beauty of the environments that shape us. 

Gabriel S. Lopez is a queer, photo-based artist of Mexican and Filipino descent who lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. Born and raised in the Echo Park neighborhood of Northeast Los Angeles, Lopez picked up the camera as a teenager and has since then devoted his artistic practice to documenting the lives of queer and BIPOC individuals and the places that influence their identities. Through portraiture and landscape photography, Lopez captures his subjects in a vulnerable light and shows how their environments continuously evolve. 

Lopez draws inspiration from significant interpersonal relationships and lived experiences, such as his connection to his family and friends, as well as his desire for a deeper understanding of life and self. For Lopez, photography is a powerful medium that has helped him heal from personal traumas. It is also a tool for preserving his community’s history and combating the normalization of their struggles. Respect, authenticity, and a compassionate understanding of the marginalized human experience are at the heart of his work.

In 2016, he attended Grand Arts in Downtown Los Angeles, where he learned the fundamentals of photography, However, he ultimately considers himself self-taught, having learned to master his craft through experience working in different photo labs and community darkrooms, and by learning from his peers and contemporaries. Lopez’s work has been exhibited in galleries in the U.S and internationally, including Webber, 10 14 Gallery, and Tlaloc Studies. He has also collaborated with notable clients such as the LA Times, The Cut, and New York Magazine.

Insta: @gabrielslopez