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 serious so lets go !

Eidolons

Pennsylvania academy of the fine arts. Philadelphia, pa

Anne Bryan gallery, samuel m.v hamilton buidling

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 additonal 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

Second is 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.

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

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

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 a 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.