Essence

. I am intrigued by the big questions: Who are we really? What is our essence? What is the meaning of our lives? and I am engaged in how to express this essence in art. I am interested in exploring issues of cultural identity with self-portraits. I create opportunities for people to photograph themselves in psychologically revealing roles. I used the mediums of photography and video for this project. I helped people to take their own self-portraits where they felt most who they really are and I interviewed them directly after the self-portraits had been taken on video. I asked in the interview: Why did you decide to have your self-portrait be in this location? How did you decide on the moment to take the picture? and Who are you really in your essence? It was fascinating to hear people’s insights and to see the passion that lights up their faces when they feel their best or talk about what really turns them on. In a time of mass depression and isolation I am interested in community, spirituality and in the ways that people stay sane. The final work is twenty A3 size photographs and a fifteen-minute DVD.