Monte de la Cruz

Abstract

Francisco Lázaro
Visual Artist and Documentary Photographer

I am Diego Francisco Sánchez Lázaro, a visual artist and documentary photographer, born in 2001 in Costa Rica, in the province of Heredia. I grew up in the calm of the mountains of San Rafael canton and the district of Los Ángeles—places that have become my home and refuge. It was there that I found in photography a deep and necessary language, a way of seeing the world with sensitivity and commitment.

Each portrait and every story I capture is an attempt to rescue the memory of my people. I am moved by the lives of Costa Rican characters—those faces full of history and resilience. I strive to preserve the essence of those who, through their work, humility, and daily struggle, represent the soul of Costa Rica.

In this visual journey, water holds an essential place. Present in the rivers that crossed my childhood and in the mist that embraces the mountains, water is more than a resource: it is life, memory, and connection. In its persistent flows, I recognize the wisdom of the people and the fragility of what is essential. Just as photography preserves moments, water preserves stories—those of the countryside, the coffee plantations, the hands that have cared for it for generations. That is why, in my work, water appears as an invisible thread that unites territories, communities, and emotions.