Artist's Statement

My recent work is inspired by my walks in different environments during the pandemic.

Poetree is a series of portraits of old growth forests paired with poems, written by poets who could have seen these trees in their lifetime.

I made the portrait-style photos of trees on solo walks in the old growth forests of California and Washington beginning in March 2020. As lockdown became increasingly likely, I felt drawn to the woods and found solace walking and sitting among the stillness of the trees. I noticed myself observing the variety of textures and patterns within each forest, and the arrangements of leaves and branches revealed by canopy filtered light.

In San Francisco where I lived at the time, I started going on daily walks in my neighborhood, which became the basis for Beautiful Strangers. My afternoon routine became a similar meditation, with no digital distractions or walking goals. I just tried to wander.

On my walks, I discovered my neighborhood’s quirks and the beauty of its patchwork, and I found myself slowing down to photograph it. Beautiful Strangers is about my neighbors and the place we called home.