WHAT SO PROUDLY WE HAILED

The American flag is a source of wonder to me. As an immigrant, I came to view the red, white and blue banner as a symbol of both stability and freedom when I left Hong Kong in my 20s and pledged allegiance to the United States during a ceremony when I became an American citizen. Ever since that day, as a photographer I've been intrigued by where and how the flag is displayed and how it reflects changing cultural and political circumstances. All images were taken during walks on the Brooklyn waterfront park, when dynamic patterns created by both natural and worldly winds captured my imagination. Moments of spontaneous visual drama morphed over time into a symbolic narrative of deep division in the country at large. A flag raised by workers manning a docked barge frayed, and soon after the 2020 presidential election, split apart. A new flag was raised, and throughout 2021 into 2022, it weathered and frayed. Split ends on the edges of the tattered flag danced in gentle breezes and contorted into beastly guises in fierce winds. At times the ends were tied down, transforming Old Glory into a shapeshifting enigma.