FIRST AND FOREMOST I AM

The project consists of 21 portrait, since the trisomy of the 21st chromosome causes Down syndrome. I photographed people aged from 9 months to 60 years. The reason I did this project was because of this radio interview I heard about the ethical questions we face now that we can choose who gets to live and who doesn't (the aim with prenatal diagnosis is to detect birth defects such as Down syndrome and more). Will people choose not to keep an embryo with down syndrome? The title of the project (first and foremost I am) comes from a article I found on the internet which, Halldóra Jónsdóttir, 30 years old woman with down syndrome wrote. I contacted her and asked if she wanted to be part of the program. She said yes and she's is one of the people in the project, as well as her article. In the article she goes through her thoughts on these ethical questions. Here is a part from the article; “Hello my name is Halldóra. I read this article in the newspaper that made me angry and sad. There was this women who wrote something about that people with down syndrome should not exist. I would like to say my opinion. I have down syndrom but FIRST AND FOREMOST I am Halldóra” ... “I choose to enjoy the life I was given, to be happy with what I have and make the best of what I've got. Not a bad life or what do you think?”