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Meet the Artist: Lorenzo Diggings Jr.

On our walls in LA, you’ll find Lorenzo Diggins, Jr,’s journalistic style photography. Through his lens, he tells an authentic story of the drastically changing South Central Los Angeles, a neighborhood he once recognized, now impacted by gentrification. His work has a strong desire to foster the relationship between a community and its people. He seeks to tell the stories of his subjects while inviting viewers to reflect on their own experiences. He uses his camera to capture the iconic sights of his hometown and preserve the essence of his community before it’s gone.

What city has been your greatest inspiration?

My hometown, South Central Los Angeles is by far my greatest inspiration.

What or who do you look to when you have a creative block?

Whenever I find myself in a creative block, music is usually the first remedy I go to and if that doesn’t work, I try to watch some type of documentary that explores the life and process of an artist I admire. One of my favorites is the Netflix series – Abstract, and specifically the episodes on illustrator, Christoph Niemann, and photographer, Planton Antoniou.

Is there a teacher or mentor who has greatly impacted your life and/or art?

I’d say my mother has greatly impacted my life and was the catalyst to my appreciation for photography and art for not only exposing me to art at an early age – she also did her best to empower me to pursue my dreams…even if she didn’t quite understand them.

What’s a goal you’re working towards right now?

Last year I launched a newsprint publication called “Find Peace. Keep Peace.” which is essentially an exploration of inner-peace through art; currently, I’m working towards building up the publication and making sure I’m giving it the opportunity to reach its full potential.

Which book / film / album changed the way you think?

There’s 3 books that changed my perspective (and specifically on my artwork) – coincidentally, all of them are by Austin Kleon: “Steal Like an Artist”, “Show Your Work”, and “Keep Going”.