A lone traveler in a foreign land, Dino Kužnik projects his gaze onto some of the most iconic emblems of the American West. The body of work made between 2016 and 2019 on his road trips around the American West is rooted in the westernization of his home country Slovenia and the resulting lack of national identification which had a significant impact on Dino growing up. Shaped by the West is a personal and artistic exploration of the emblematic symbols of Americana from his youth in opposition to his adult identity. The book’s prevailing narrative is centered around a nostalgic vision of the American dream contrasted with the artist’s own process of applying for an artist visa. Dino has been living in the US since 2013 and has traveled around Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah and Nevada in search of his artistic expression.