SARA LA GUERRERA
WARRIOR WOMAN EMBRACING CANCER
I was so fortunate to meet Sara at here home in Orland, CA. She has gone to war and won several battles with different types of cancers for 20+ years. She faces a new aggressive cancer that with her warrior heart, familia, and culture she will now embrace. Her spirt is unlike anyone I have met. Sending my love to her + familia.
CANCER OF COLONIALISM
XOCHITL'S RAGE + RESILIENCE
The United States health care system has an ugly history of minimizing women of color's pain while also misdiagnosing them. Xochitl wanted to document her rage and resilience after she was a victim of this failed system. She hopes to inspire others to advocate for the health care they deserve. After being told she had nothing wrong with her after years of pleading with doctors about her pain she was finally diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. The same week she was told was the same week she had to undergo a double mastectomy. I photographed her just days before her surgery. She is now on her warrior's path to recovery. "The cancer in my body will heal but who and how will we heal the cancer outside my body, in our society?"
SF CARNAVAL
LARGEST CARNAVAL OUTSIDE OF BRAZIL.
I love my Mission community with all my corazon. For over a decade I have been able to document the incredible performers who give our community it's heart beat through music + dance. You can feel the power of honoring our ancestors + traditions through caranval. So blessed to call many of these folxs my friends. Every year I am in awe of everyones creative growth + contagious happiness. ¡QUE VIVA CARNAVAL! ¡QUE VIVA LA MISION!
VOGUING IN THE CITY
A SERIES ON THE FIRST VOGUE INSTRUCTOR
OF SAN FRANCISCO
Sir JoQ is the first to bless dancers with the teachings of Voguing, a highly stylized form of dance created by black and Latino LGBTQ communities. They has been teaching Vogue + Tone classes since 2010. Starting their career steeped in the improvisation of freestyle hip-hop, Jocquese has added modern, classical, and Diasporic dance traditions over the last several years. They were one of the many artists to be apart of the San Francisco GI Program. Without artist the city would not be the same.
XIAOYUN ZHOU
周笑雲
BRINGING JOY THROUGH DANCE TO CHINA TOWN
Xiaoyun Zhou is a dancer in her seventies and she leads the Portsmouth Square Dance Club which consists of around 50 senior women. Zhou is a part of an ongoing project to bring vibrancy, love and care through dance to the China Town community. It was truly beautiful to see these women bring joy to each other through dance.
VOODOO
IN NOLA
A SERIES ON THE LIFE OF VOODOO PRACTITIONER
I was invited into the century old New Orleans home that was in the midsts of repairs from hurricane Ida to meet Syrettah. She shared her knowledge of Voodoo and I was fortunate to have my astro chart + shells read by her. The history of Voodoo runs deep in NOLA, it is to be respected. "If you want to see Voodoo, slow down."
SOMA PILIPINAS
PUBLIC ART + URBAN DESIGN
I was invited to capture Cece Carpio working on her latest project. The SOMA Pilipinas mural represents multiple diasporic experiences of Filipino immigrants at the crossroads of many worlds. The mural features main modes of public transportation: Jeepneys in the Philippines as the MUNI buses are here in San Francisco. Cece provides the Bay Area audience with the familiarity and visibility of a popular and iconic Philippine cultural symbol side by side.
These series were created in collaboration with publications, grants, commissions, + my own passion.
I enjoy collaborating with writers + publication to share the stories of phenomenal individuals around the world. I look forward to creating with you soon.