Artist statement: The stories they tell explores how scars and other visible differences have an intimate relationship with the people who have them and how each scar has its own unique story. My interest is in how scars transcend time for people, how they take us back somewhere in the past, but also ground us in the present, and open our eyes to the future. It is this that the project wants to emulate and capture.

Using black-and-white portrait photography and handwritten stories on pieces of paper, The stories they tell attempts to create a sense of intimacy and connection between the viewer and the subject. It is through these handwritten accounts that this project has become a true co-creation between myself and my subjects; a powerful collaboration where both the visuals and the words are equally important. The subjects’ words are paramount to the project, and, combined with the photographs reveal deep intricacies about their stories, their psyche, and their shared humanity.