It’s astonishing for an artist born in 2002 to not have an internet portfolio – much more so after they’re a photographer raised on the web. As a substitute, Jester Bulnes keeps their bubbly orange hard disk drive, filled with photographs which have never seen the blue light of day, near their chest. Only a number of have ever escaped, their contents hinting at a secret personal project. 4 years later, the clues have manifested as DENTRO – their self-published physical body of labor, a preview of their sacred archive.

Bulnes’ aversion towards art on the web could seem almost grandiose at first, however it stems from their diligence to the craft, preservation of time, and an attempt against commodification. “I always think in regards to the way we, as artists, navigate the digital world. Can we even must?” they tell Dazed. “There’s no denying that the experience of seeing a painting is way different in person than it is thru a photograph. So that very same truth should hold for photography. Seeing a photograph printed in real life feels much different than scrolling through a whole lot on Instagram. If anything, it just presents the query of what we would like our work to do?”

Their hope for DENTRO is that it interrogates the multiple identities that exist inside them. “It’s a story a couple of kid from an immigrant, single-parent household; a child who was raised Christian and compelled to cover who they really were; a child who often felt afraid.” Bulnes chronicles their coming of age in apartment complexes, bathrooms and bedrooms; alongside Echo Park vendors, kids running within the Mexican sand, cyanotypes on clay, Los Angeles highways, lucha libre máscaras, and other people.

‘It’s a story a couple of kid from an immigrant, single-parent household; a child who was raised Christian and compelled to cover who they really were; a child who often felt afraid’ – Jester Bulnes

Out of 84 photographs, only 11 actually depict Bulnes. These self-portraits obscure the artist’s face ultimately, be it the composition, the glare of the flash, or a double exposure that leaves only shadows and highlights. Yet DENTRO stays an extension of the artist. They’ve a mastery for identifying themselves through dirty realism shots of other Latine and queer people. 

The connection becomes clearer as models are stylised in Bulnes’ personal collection, often “manipulating garments in a way that they’re traditionally to not be worn.” A speedo is worn over jeans, a skirt is worn under denim, a jersey is tied like a skirt. “Styling allows me to challenge conventional modes of fashion and play with gendered stereotypes,” they explain. “Together this relationship between model, outfit, and photograph creates a bigger narrative.” 

DENTRO’s entity is crammed with this performance of paradoxes. Images of their sculptural works are integrated as chapters; machismo entangled in Latine culture is explored by a queer framework. “I also find that investigating masculinity and femininity in my work becomes a approach to challenge this machismo,” Bulnes explains. “The one approach to move past these stereotypes is to reimagine them in order that’s what I attempt to do. I would like to transform these traditional images of masculinity that we have now always been fed.”

Aside from the foreword written by Elisa Sue Young Park, the one written text is a dedication that reads “Somos las perras.” Bulnes tells Dazed, “The literal translation means ‘we’re the feminine dogs’ and it’s also slang for ‘we’re the bitches.’ That word can feel a bit aggressive, but here it becomes a approach to reclaim my feminine identity and embody whatever I would like. For me, it means something more like, ‘we’re the underdogs’ and ‘we’re the women.’” 

The community Bulnes is referring to is the yasssters, the name that started off as a joke for his or her friends, followers and fans. Nevertheless, now “it’s the women, the gays, the dolls, the Latin ‘slayers’ and anyone who’s ever felt like they don’t belong” – the intimate rawness that prevails inside DENTRO is for them.

DENTRO by Jester Bulnes is offered here now.