I am Proud is a collection of images about people expressing what they are proud to be. A work about identity and self expression to connect to other people with different backgrounds. The work comprises a multitude of backgrounds, ethnicities, genders and positions in life that people can connect with. Through interview sessions these people open their hearts to the past and pull one word, identifying themselves that make them proud of who they are all encompassing. This process collects the faces with the stories of the past allowing people to connect to the history of a person without talking to the person they see. Disconnecting the person from the story opens up the viewer to placing themselves in the past of another. By relating to another person and their experiences allows room for discussion of familiars expanding the communities understanding of a diverse source of life. 

Process:

This project is meant to show the faces of people when they naturally feel themselves. To allow the comfort and personality of each and every person to come to light so they may show the pride within themselves. After a guided reflection the participant comes up with a word that they feel identifies themselves. With this new found self identification they hand write their word on their mat board frame so it may be displayed with an image of the participant. The picture is then taken at a location where the person feels the most themselves. This allows people to connect to another human being, therefore connecting with the story behind the word they presented.