SOUTH BEND.- The Institute for Latino Studies' Galería América on the University of Notre Dame presents the exhibit "The Camera's Eye: Photographic Works by Javier Hernández" through Aug. 18. Javier Hernández, a graduate of the University of Notre Dame's class of 2006, will exhibit The Camera's Eye at the Institute for Latino Studies, 230 McKenna Hall, at the University of Notre Dame through Friday, August 18, 2006.

The Camera's Eye, a body of photographic images, is the result of a three-year project. It consists mostly of portraiture, since Hernández loves working with people. Believing himself more a photographer than an artist, he creates portraits "to capture the uniqueness of each individual by closing in on my subjects. The purpose is to make the subject matter engaging for the viewer." Hernández's passion for this photographic genre stems from the conviction that "[i]mages of others usually make us want to see what we don't see in ourselves… There is no better joy than to be able to capture the beauty within ourselves through the way we see each other." This exhibition traces the ways in which the photographer, his subjects, and the viewer try to find themselves "through others, through my images, through my viewfinder, through my camera's eye."

Born and raised in Chicago, Hernández grew up in the predominantly Mexican communities of Pilsen and Little Village. He was first introduced to photography as part of a photo-essay assignment for a class at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School. In 2001 he began studying architecture at Notre Dame but soon discovered a passion for photography. Hernández graduates from University of Notre Dame in May with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Studio Art and Design.

Hernández is currently working as the photographer for the Institute for Latino Studies, with which he has been closely associated for nearly six years. Since one of his most recent projects has inspired him to pursue a career in education, he plans to return to school to pursue a Master's in Education in the near future.