The BoxHumana project was inspired by a photograph of me as a child.
I’m crouching in the packing crate we used to ship all of our household belongings to Hong Kong when I was four years old. Growing up in Southeast Asia, my friends were of every nationality, faith and ethnic background.
For me, this photo brings to mind the metaphoric boxes in which each of us lives, created by such influences as religion, race, family upbringing, and nationality, among others. Some of these boxes are confining, others comforting. We spend our lives trying to decide which ones to stay in, and which to escape.
I built a plywood box measuring 20” x 20” x 40” and began a photographic exploration. Each of the photographs was created exactly as you see it, with the box upright on the floor and the camera in front of it. None of the photos has been inverted or manipulated other than minor retouching and perspective correction.
I’m extremely grateful to each of those who participated...more than 70 people in total...many of who were complete strangers when they arrived at my studio. Not only did they collaborate with me creatively, they made themselves extremely vulnerable, allowing me unearned intimacy.
All of the images on this page are available as signed, fine art prints. You can send me a message here.
