Who we are: the will to adorn -- Photograph Above Titled- Far Above Rubies

In this timely photo series “Who we are: the will to adorn”, the subjects adorn themselves with pieces of clothing and jewelry that have a history, sentimental meaning, and significance to their identity. In a time where racial division is on the rise and anti-immigration rhetoric is prevalent, it is a joining of women who have “the will”, the deliberate intention, to celebrate the beauty of who they are. The combination of photojournalistic photographs and unconventional portraiture place subjects in their own home or landscapes that resemble their native land. With this, I am inviting viewers to look, listen, and think about the significance of adornment, the value of culture, and the will that it takes to be who we are, truly and fearlessly in America.

"In my country Iran, where I lived for 36 years, none of the women in my family wore scarves, but after my president changed 10 years ago, all women had to wear them. In the middle east, there is a lot of pride concerning women. As an artist, I couldn’t show my work, similar to what's behind me, because I paint about women and their experiences. When you grow up with a traditional society and government, you never think you are free. Now that I am here in the United States, I want to try to be free in my mind, but I can't."