Artist Statement

“Photography, for me, is less about appearances than about excavating presence. My work begins with light and shadow like most artists, but it always returns to memory: what is preserved, what is forgotten, and how images shape the way we carry our stories forward. My entire focus revolves around memory. I find myself at a crossroads: portraiture, writing, intent, and purpose. I have to stop and think about the spaces I am creating where individuals and communities are often overlooked or marginalized. I want the intent and overall purpose for them to be seen, heard, and remembered on their own terms. A lot of my work and how I approach my subjects were mainly influenced by the clarity and intensity of Robert Mapplethorpe, the framing used by Richard Avedon, and the will to step up, document, and give people their spotlight, kind of like what Gordon Parks did. I have my own twist to this approach, though. I like a dramatic, pared-down aesthetic, often utilizing just one light, switching between shallow or deep depth of field, and deliberate contrast. I am drawn to the tension between intimacy and distance, between isolation and connection, and the way photography can hold both at once. My practice is guided by process as much as outcome. Conceptually, my work explores resilience, vulnerability, and the traces of personal and collective history that live in the body. It is purpose-driven rather than message-driven, seeking not to instruct but to witness: to sit with contradictions, solitude, and struggle, and transform them into images that carry dignity and meaning. Every photograph I make carries a piece of myself, sometimes clarity, sometimes mystery, but always reflects the human need to be remembered.”