Manifest

This self portrait series is an expression of my resiliency as a biracial woman claiming space in a society that attempts to confine me.

This self portrait series is an expression of my resiliency as a biracial woman claiming space in a society that attempts to confine me. Through texture, movement, light and color I am conveying that all women of color have the power to manifest an environment in which they can thrive despite the injustice they face within their respective communities.

With the use of grandiose compositions, hopeful expressions and dynamic gestures, I am actively claiming space; redefining the self portrait and taking ownership over the lens by embodying delicate power even in the face of adversity and vulnerability. The images are intentionally rich in color to surround caramel skin with hope and positivity. In these compositions, I am maximizing few resources - minimal clothing, public spaces, myself as the photographer, myself as the subject - to make a point that women of color don’t need abundance to make an atmosphere appear beautiful. We are the producers.

Oftentimes, while navigating the city of Austin, I am painstakingly aware of the absence of black and brown hues in the spaces I occupy. Despite the inverted progressiveness and liberal nature of Austin, it is the only major metropolitan city in the entire country with a steadily decreasing African American population - dwindling at a meager 7.62%. Rather than dwell on the hardship minorities are facing in retaining the space they occupy, I have heard a calling, felt a pull and sensed a duty to express my passion for equity. These images reveal the ownership I have taken over my skin color, the appreciation I have for my multiracial background and the determination I possess to provide the framework in building a community that gives women of color opportunity, inclusion and visibility.

Through this cause, I am sacrificing my ego and exposing myself to critique in an effort to make a statement. These images are not me as a model, an actress nor a self serving subject. I am simply a vehicle to facilitate the movement, like an Olympic torch bearer carrying and eventually passing the torch to the next person progressing humanity to a higher order. This body of work serves as a template, for American cities’ who’s marginalized individuals are being displaced, as a call to action for justice, equity and reform. Manifest is a tribute to all women of color, present and past, yearning to belong.