I made these Polaroids specifically for Love Lives in SF’s 2026 Union Square Art Walk. I created these images while listening to music and talking to new people as I was exploring some corners of the city I haven’t spend much time in before.
I’ve loved San Francisco for as long as I could remember. Being from the East Bay, I spent many weekends, holidays, and celebrations in SF. This city, its people, the art, its atmosphere, and the plants that survive surrounded by concrete have always held a special place in my heart. The city I grew up visiting, and the Union Square I spent endless hours in has drastically changed over the last 10 years, but I’m still so full of love to call this city my (second) home. The Bay Area is my home, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Each Polaroid is attached to cardstock— the grey color in conversation with the fog that is always present, and the green color for the lovely plants that continue to grow.
Progress That Hurts Me is a representation of the conflicting inner battle one can have around progression and change. The need for physical progress and the inability to allow myself to rest present themselves in debilitating ways of picking at my skin and not sleeping. I closely photograph the parts of my skin I’m most uncomfortable with and make them into larger prints I physically manipulate with X-Acto knives, screws, pins, and scissors to mimc the act of skin picking. Delicately scraping my imperfections on fine art paper is an intimate and emotional experience, inviting viewers to a harmful act I partake in in secret. Large, up-close prints are framed by metal screws protruding out of black cardboard to create a physical boundary between the viewer and my skin, while also pertaining to the physical pain I endure. Simultaneously, I pair these works with scanned Polaroids of textures I find in the world which reflect my emotional experience. The rigid shapes and dense textures relate to the physical sensation of discomfort experienced when feeling unsettled in one’s body.
Seeking Comfort is a collection of images exploring the difficult relationship one can have with their own body. The way in which clouds are continuously changing relate to the fleeting and fluctuating acceptance I have towards my own skin. Clouds are constantly in motion with their admirable shapes and curves, present one second, and gone the next. This experience is similar to the way in which I experience comfort in my body. I feel discomfort thinking of my body as a whole, however I find solace in the little, unique markings that appear throughout. The freckles, birthmarks, surgery scars, and places of discoloration are what I find beautiful. The parts in which you have to physically get close to appreciate the small things are what make inhabiting my own body a bit easier. I also created images with my partner to bring light to how someone else can love my skin in the places which I do not.
This series of images was inspired by California College of the Arts’ 2025 Sex Week which was the college’s first series of events dedicated to sexual health and wellness created by MC Payen. The Sex art show was curated by Kaeli Mcleod sponsored by the Center for Art and Public Life (CAPL).
Through instant film and digital manipulation, I am navigating the inner workings of my brain around my crippling Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I feel as though there are many different people within me, each having different obsessive worries, thought patterns, and demeanors towards me. Can you see all the people in my mind? The answer will always be no because even I can’t see them all.
This series of medium format images is part of a project where I document how the natural and industrial world coexist, focusing on how we as humans try to navigate a sense of place. When I found a location for my each exposure, I asked my friend Kaeli to put themself in the frame where they saw fit — no further direction. This gave my images playfulness, joy, and spontaneity while also showcasing Kaeli’s relationship to the environment.
