Submission

I am a former ballet dancer so I am naturally drawn to photographing other ballet dancers, but prefer to highlight them as people instead of ethereal, otherworldly, unreachable creatures. I have became interested in exploring other artists in NYC as well, especially Asian and Pacific Islanders as I myself am half Chinese. In a sense I am photographing them to discover more about myself and my heritage. I have started with tattoo and graphic artist Gabrielle Wadijaja, who is very connected to her cultural and ethnic heritage. This is not only reflected in her work but in the way she eats, dresses and generally lives her life. Layla Sharifi is also a dancer and artist and is mixed race. (Japanese mix). It is more important than ever to present Asian American faces and voices as violence against the API community has gone up 300% since the start of the pandemic.