After taking a much needed solo trip to Atlantic City in January, particularly to specifically watch the sunrise while listening to Cortex's ' Troupeau Bleu' album. Following a lengthy conversation with a mentor of mine (David McDowell. Shoutout to you). I decided that I wanted to do something to truly challenge myself this 2026

Well the challenge is to be in 7 (my lucky number) exhibitions this year, creating ALL NEW work thematic to each exhibition. Whether it's a group or solo, it's got to be 7 !

Early in my photography I really kept my work to myself, I saw no sense in showing anyone the photos of my mother I had taken or photos of random people on the streets of Philly. 

To be quite frank I didn't even feel like much of an artist until two or so years ago, if anything I was "Just some kid with a camera."

I always felt photography was my way of speaking, of saying things I felt were too hard to or too much emotionally to get out. It still is. Yet I do feel like an artist now, not that I take myself too seriously....

But I am taking this challenge seriously so let's go !

Eidolons

Pennsylvania academy of the fine arts. Philadelphia, pa

Anne Bryan gallery, samuel m.v hamilton buidling

February 26, 2026 – May 10, 2026

First up is 'Eidolons' , an exhibition at PAFA's Samuel M.V Hamilton building. The theme, prospectus, whatever you wanna call it is based around the poem 'Eidolons' by Walt Whitman. Reading into it I was like "hm, how the fuck am I going to do to translate these ideas photographically?"

We're talking metaphysical, higher power, beyond human comprehension shit. 

I connected with the physical and metaphysical ideas around light & dark.  How light is something you can feel, it's warmth, beaming, bright. 

Darkness is also comforting in this spiritual way, I go to the dark to channel what I cannot in the light. The ancestors, spirits, what have you.  Not to mention the metaphysics of photography itself, I mean it is to put it simply the capture of light and dark. The dance in contrast. How do we capture something that is unseen? light it up. increase your exposure. 

Loved the exhibition, the work on display was insane, truly thought provoking. Very beautifully curated and presented. It was by far my favorite staff/student exhibition to date and the Artist as Curator class did fabulous.

Read the poem here : EIDÓLONS.

Some additional thoughts: 

When I was reading ‘Eidolons’ for the first time ever, I related to the metaphysical, A place beyond our everyday life, which we could connect to. 

As a photographer I see the sun in this poem. Light is a physical thing, it bounces around, it’s warm, It’s something you can bask in.

Darkness is the opposite of light, inherently making it metaphysical. The dark is something that is created from the absence of light. It’s cold, surrounding. but can be insightful.

There are things in the dark that just can’t be seen in a world full of light. Shapes, patterns, eidolons.

In the dark, you may find what you’re looking for.

Piece titles inspired by the songs of:

Solange - ‘Mad’

Kelela - ‘Cherry Coffee’

Harford 100-mile biennial

Harford community college. Bel air, MA

Dr. James & Lynne Lacalle chesapeake gallery

 March 16, 2026 - April 16, 2026

Secondly comes Harford Community College's '100 Mile Radius Biennial' exhibition! This exhibition blew my motherfucking mind. To be a part of a group of such amazing artists was truly an honor (and a half).

I stumbled upon the open call by random, most likely on instagram and was really intrigued. I am a big fan of Baltimore so seeing an open call in Maryland, from a community college only half an hour away was awesome. 

First of all it was, again, an honor to even get accepted to the show. 

My theme was around masculinity and reflecting on what ideas I consumed and made up of what a "man" is. What does a "man" look, sound, feel like? Can a man be soft? Have a feminine side? Is a true "man" fully masculine? Who knows?

It was truly a special moment for me especially during women's history month. Like yes, let me honor the women in my life and those before me that have had a hand in me being here and celebrating this moment.

The art and artists in the exhibition were truly a treat and again I felt so honored being among everyone. Honored that the many folks running The Dr. James & Lynne LaCalle Chesapeake Gallery at Harford Community College put together such a beautiful display of artistry.

*This exhibition was initially supposed to take place in fall 2025 but was pushed to spring 2026 so I'm still counting it :3*

Philadelphia stories 250: out of many one - a photographic journey

City hall, 4th floor NE corner. Philadelphia, pa

June 5, 2026 - August 8, 2026

Third, we're in city hall! City hall is such a cool building to me and I've been a part of an exhibition there years before in 2024. 

The Open call made me read a lot about culture, history and most importantly the photographic medium which I found interesting. As well as a celebration of America's 250th birthday (Not that I'm really celebrating) but to me more so about the history of the people here, good, bad, ugly.  On top of it was a show just for photographers like woah. 

Reading the prospectus and whatnot, I settled on photographing my Grandmother Donna.

When I think about culture, specifically Philly, I think about love, the love that the average Philadelphian holds within them. Love is inspiring, aspiring, transcending generations and to be able to be loved is immensely powerful. Loved through good and bad, conditions or none. Love is an ultimate force. anyway...

So my grandma is a lovely person, I walk into her and my grandfather's home and feel right at home. A hug, a kiss, a handshake. The immediate invitation to be welcome, feel loved. Then we walk to the kitchen and sit, have tea, eat, talk, laugh, all of the things. There are signals of love in these interactions, the communication is clear !

That's what I hoped to have displayed in the portrait I took of her for the exhibition. I submitted 4 and the one they chose wasn't exactly my initial favorite but as I looked more at it and talked more about the piece it truly was meant to be.

Artist statement:

When I think about culture, I think about the city of brotherly love and how we care for one another. One of the people that comes to mind is my grandmother. She has a certain love for people and it's evident as soon as you walk through the front door. That feeling of being right at home, as if I could stay there forever. The hospitable nature of her home is steeped in a culture of love. The desire to make people feel like they belong, are welcomed and can be comfortable, no matter who you are. Love takes on many forms culturally, for me that is felt immediately as I step in, usually a hug and kiss from my grandmother, the beeline for the kitchen to share the treats I've brung over, the smell of flowers on the dining room table, and the boiling of water for tea. It's all love here, at my grandma's.

60th Anniversary Alumni Art Showcase

Community College of Philadelphia,

Gilroy Roberts Rotunda Gallery & LLC exhibition space

September 1st, 2026 - October 2nd, 2026

Fourthly we go to my higher education stomping grounds. Community College of Philadelphia! My appreciation for my education at CCP is immense. A majority of my professors, faculty and admin were extremely supportive during my tenure at the college (and boy did I spend a little extra time there). Every semester was a new challenge towards my path to my first degree but it was worth every second. I have a laundry list of people to thank but they know whom they are !

Anyhow let's talk about the art. The open call was eligible to all alumni of the college who received a degree in the arts. The theme was open. Which an open theme is always a doozy because I never truly know where I will go.

At the time I was going through a slump of sorts. I had come back from a really wonderful trip but things when I got back were just in the shitter. Creatively and mentally I felt quite stunted, like "Yay, the trip was everything I needed" but "Damn. I have a bunch of work to do, meanwhile all this other stuff is going on". During the process of the shoot I just kept playing around, initially not really finding what I was looking for. Yet giving up would've made me a loser and I don't care much for being a loser.

In my haste to submit I completely forgot to submit an artist statement but here's my artist bio that resonated with some folks: 

Born and raised in Philly, the crux of my work covers the people, places and things going on here. I am most intrigued by the portrait, despite being a hardcore introvert I love people, I love the stories that people carry with them and how that can be presented in a photograph. It is of utmost importance to me to not only document my life but the lives of those around me. Family, friends and strangers alike, we are all connected, we are all a part of each other's history.

I found this part of the submission process funny :

Acknowledgements

I understand that my work might not be selected for the 60th Alumni Showcase.

Yes

lol.

This position I'm in , 2026

16x20 Archival pigment inkjet print on paper 1/1 + 4 APs

'This position I'm in'  is akin to 'The hanged man' a tarot card which usually depicts a man hanging upside down. Me laying over the chair visualizes a similar story. Feelings of contemplation but worry yet inaction. What is there to do?. What move do I make?. I lay here in this position. Stagnant. The card is neither upright or downturned, rather it's in the middle.

In contrast to 'This position I'm in' the second photograph 'What to do how to feel' has more movement to it. Firstly it's a polaroid rather than an inkjet. I love this format because you really have to walk up to them. they're rather small so it's intimate. It was the last shot in my camera and the final shot of the photoshoot.

Now I am facing moving forward. Slowly. The possibilities that a new position can create by just reaching out. Trying. What can that change bring? I am beginning to question my emotions and move accordingly. Time to act, create and change upon that contemplative energy. It's a million possibilities that just a little movement in my mindset can produce. let's go.

Making the print of 'This position I'm in',  David Soffa at Community College of Philadelphia (my past History of Photography instrucutor lol) helped me fine tune and guide me to get the print from the first proof, to the final one of one. Which I greatly appreciate, printing is a whole process and it was great to have another pair of eyes to see what improvements could be made.

Thank you to David M., David S., Kara, and Kaleb for putting up with me !

The reception was very fabulous, so many folks were there to celebrate the college, the alumi artists it has played a hand in educating and the future of artists at the college. Art and education are two things I care so very much about and it's a beautiful thing to see people gathered to celebrate the two. Valerie Gay the Chief Culture Officer of Creative Philadelphia, even stopped by and shared some encouraging words for the college and the future of the arts in Philadelphia. It was quite a night and I had a celebratory banana split for dinner.

Very proud to have attended Community College of Philadelphia and take part in a celebration of the college's 60th year, alongside fellow artists. Epic as fuck.

River Alive

EJM foundation, Jpeg. 

Jersey Photography Education Gallery. Camden, New Jersey

September 15th - September 26th

The river is very much alive ! The fifth exhibition is right across the Benjamin Franklin bridge in Jersey. Curated by Eurhi Jones and Priscilla Rios they put together a photography showcase to supplement the first part of the exhibition. Spotlighting the work they were doing for their artist residency spearheaded by the Partnership for the Deleware Estuary in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency and hosted at the Erik James Montgomery Foundation's community gallery space. 

I think it's very beautiful seeing kids participating and sharing their opinions on water. The environments we find water in and how it benefits life. Sustains us all.

As you walk in you are greeted by this big mixed media fabric that says “Water is life” enhanced with ornaments created by students in workshops throughout Philadelphia, Wilmington, Chester and Camden. Supplemented by photos from the workshops, art renders and original artworks from Eurhi, Priscilla & students.

The second part of the exhibition is photographs curated by Eurhi and Priscilla Rios from around 20 artists from the 4 previously mentioned river cities. answering how the River is alive.

A community oriented and collaborative effort to show the many aspects water environments contribute to our lives.

One of my favorite parts of this show is the marbled paper on display. Not only are they beautiful but so nice to see the outcomes from the workshops. I myself am inspired to do some paper marbling for my screen printing class !

This show and residency it seems was a very collaborative effort with various artists, organizations and communities connecting to come together and bring the topic of the water to the forefront of people's minds.

I adore how everyone had a different take on the open call. It was great seeing all the many perspectives from my fellow artists' cameras. Sharing thoughts about the exhibition and yearlong project Priscilla shared: “...It’s very interesting how much we all have in common with each other when it comes to the environment and the issues and just like what we hope for the future.”

Eurhi simply states “We can’t live without our water !”

It is so important that this work bridging art, education and environmental science together continues !

Thank you to Eurhi & Priscilla for allowing us photo takers to be a part of the conversation !