Portraits of Strength and Resilience

Portraits of Strength and Resilience represents people from various cultures and walks of life who embody the spirit of fortitude, passion, curiosity and joy. Regardless of their socioeconomic conditions, the subjects of these photographs exhibit dignity and power. Many people depicted here live from day to day. However, hard life does not prevent them from radiating joy with smiles.

There are also tears and cries that ring loudly and fill up the frame. Pain and sorrow are expressed in the creases of an old farmer’s face and in a young girl’s tears. Some live life to the maximum, whether dressed in a showy carnival costume or preaching to passersby in Times Square. We are taken out of our comfort zone and confronted with the direct gaze of a female farmer from Indonesia who demands that her individuality and struggles be recognized. Female construction workers from India smile in the midst of their hard labor; their children accompany them to work because they can’t afford daycare services. A warm smile on the weather-beaten face of a fisherman from India signals that he has not been broken. These protagonists reach out beyond the confines of their cultures.

I have traveled the world with camera in hand, encountering people who helped reshape my worldview and feed my imagination; they are the subjects of this project. Their strength and resilience in the face of hardship and their celebration of life are presented here in bold and colorful images. My specialty is street photography, capturing candid scenes that tell deep and meaningful stories from real life. My photography challenges our preexisting perceptions about the world we live in and our biases toward other cultures. It is my hope that the multicultural lens through which I see my subjects empowers them and the viewers of these photographs.