Artist Bio
The first photo series is titled "Hacen Salah" and features a remarkable human and captures the essence of 'Where Worlds Meet'. Hacen recently immigrated from Mauritania, leaving behind his family, village, and all familiar surroundings with the hopes of making a better life and being able to uplift his entire community from across the world. Since arriving in Chicago two years ago, Hacen has been living with my Family and his presence in our lives has fundamentally enriched our entire home for the better. As a devout Muslim, Hacen has strong faith and on this day, he allowed me to capture his morning Salah prayers. We spent the morning watching the sunrise on Chicago’s historic Rainbow Beach, which provided us with a peaceful, natural contrast to our urban jungle city landscape. Spending time at the beach also reminds Hacen of his home, which is a sub-Saharan West African country located on the Atlantic coast. In this collection, we wanted to convey to the viewers the tranquility of an urban lakefront backdrop along with sharing a glimpse into Hacen's culture and embracing his resilient spirit.
The second photo series that aligns with Where Worlds Meet is titled "WY Riviera". These images were taken when my husband and I first began exploring the beauty of Wyoming and our Buick Riviera broke down along the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, which happens to be one of the most beautiful routes in our country. It started raining while we were waiting for our tow truck (because of course, everything moves slower here) and it allowed us to listen to some nice music and make the most of our time while 'stranded'. We were surprised how many people stopped to see if we were okay, because coming from Chicago, people aren't always as willing to help out a stranger on the side of the road. After the rain cleared, we were blessed when the most beautiful rainbow appeared. This day has become a moment we often reflect back on when we need a mini-break from our busy life schedules.