Artist, The Origin Story

Destiny is shaped by the choices we make and the people we meet. In 2019, when Tiffany walked into my life and connected with my art, it felt as though fate had arrived. At the time, I was just beginning to explore my sculptural photographic practice, creating my earliest textile-frame portrait photographs. Tiffany spoke of Shine on Sierra Leone, her organization dedicated to supporting communities through education, sustainability, and cultural preservation. Her deep relationships with weavers and artisans in Sierra Leone sparked an idea of a collaborative exploration of these textiles with the people who made them.

Tiffany invited me to join her and a group of creatives on their next trip to Sierra Leone, and I eagerly accepted. I was excited not only to witness her work firsthand but to contribute my photographic practice to this exchange. I saw the camera not as a tool to hide behind, but as a means of connection, trusting that the people and their stories would find me and unfold naturally.

The images I captured during that time were powerful, but as I began to envision creating something meaningful from this work, the world shifted. The onset of COVID-19 halted travel and redirected priorities. My project was put on hold, and what had once felt urgent became distant.  By 2022 and 2023, the images began to haunt me. I realized I needed to bring this project to life, and so I started taking the necessary steps. This being my first book, the journey required both vision and perseverance. I eventually found the right people to help bring the project to fruition, shaping it into something that would immortalize this experience. 

Time, rather than diminishing the work, gave me clarity. It allowed me to step back and understand the complexity of my role as an outsider coming into a new place. I’ve become more aware, more sensitive to the subtleties of the experience. What once felt like an urgent burst of energy has, over time, transformed into something rooted, deepened by reflection and guided by the dialogue between past and present. This is the story of how this project was created, how it found its voice, and how it continues to evolve alongside me.