Andrea 2, Washingtonville, NY - April 2017

n 2017 I began work on a documentary project centered around the themes of trauma and mental health. I sought to interview and photograph people willing to share their personal stories with me. In the subsequent years I’ve spoken with military veterans, survivors of sexual assault, victims of abusive relationships, individuals struggling with depression, addiction, anxiety and more. I strive to create portraits with empathy not exploitation as my goal, to demonstrate that mental health goes beyond a diagnosis.

In 2020, in light of the Covid 19 pandemic, I began to focus the project on the lasting impacts of the lock downs, quarantine, fear, loss, and trauma that has created a global mental health crisis as the pandemic continues. It is my belief that now, more than ever, we must address mental health as a society - because the trauma from the pandemic will be with us far longer than the virus itself. We can no longer afford to avoid the conversations that make us uncomfortable.

archival inkjet print
16" x 20"