There was a time my friend told me about a racial encounter she experienced. I was so upset about the situation; I decided to create a portrait series that would be a creative sanctuary to Black,POC,Femme, LGBTQ+ and marginalized individuals. From this project, I learned that a safe space needs love, appreciation and understanding as the foundation.

This series gave my models a visual voice to express themselves in any way they saw fit. Pigment Series is a collection of mixed media artwork that consists of vivid colored studio lighting, semi nude photography and body painting. The series originally started five years ago on January, 26th, 2017 in Charleston, SC during a time when racial tension and terrorism towards Blacks and POC were at a high.

I photographed over 100 people and collaborated with local painters; some who were musically, visually talented artists, schoolmates, strangers, family and friends in Charleston, SC and Rochester, NY. Each portrait captured the true essence of a person and their existence. I wanted to capture a wide range of people from different racial backgrounds and experiences. In 2019, I was given an opportunity to talk about this series at Allendale Columbia School Tedx Talk.