About

As a child, I struggled with asking for help when I needed it the most. There was an overriding feeling of not wanting to bother or disturb anyone with anything I had going on. The simple truth is that a closed mouth won’t get fed. That you and I are not an island. I reflect on the six weeks I spent in the Himalayas at an ashram learning how to strengthen my sadhana, or spiritual practice. How intensive the schedule was at first. Our days started at 6 a.m and ended at 9 p.m. What made it easier was seeing how committed all the other yogis were in accomplishing the same goal I had. To be disciplined enough to achieve something for ourselves, together. Unity is strength. I’ve personally experienced unexpected blessings because I dared to speak up about what I needed in the moment. When I’ve taken a single step towards my goals, something greater has delivered what I needed through the actions of another. This portrait of Chi was taken in 2024 at her communal village. I was experimenting with Leica’s M-10 Monochrome for the first time. I knew that strong black and white portraits would be produced that day. When I began editing this still stood out to me. Because nudity is already a charged art form its almost too easy to produce striking photographs. I do my best to capture nude subjects in relation to their environments while also conveying different ways of non-verbal communication. I see a timid mystery in this photograph as Chi’s back is turnt to the viewer and we are only getting a fraction of her face. I feel as if there’s something to be said by our subject that’s not being communicated. Maybe that’s the empath in me wanting to be available as a listener to another.

This black-and-white portrait presents a quiet, intimate tension between vulnerability and withdrawal. A woman sits on the floor in the corner of a room, her bare back turned toward the viewer, her body gently folded into the meeting point of two walls. The composition creates a sense of enclosure—almost as if she is retreating into the architecture itself. Her posture is soft yet guarded, her head slightly turned just enough to reveal a partial glimpse of her face, withholding full emotional access.

Across her upper back stretches a finely detailed tattoo of a winged figure, arms extended outward in a gesture that contrasts with her inward, almost protective physical stance. The wings suggest openness, expansion, even transcendence—yet her body language speaks of hesitation, introspection, or a quiet search for safety. This contrast becomes the emotional center of the photograph.

The environment is minimal: bare wooden floors and plain walls, absent of distraction. This simplicity amplifies the human presence and heightens the psychological weight of the moment. The use of monochrome strips the image down to light, shadow, and form, emphasizing texture—the softness of skin, the grain of the wood, and the delicate linework of the tattoo.

In the context of the artist’s reflection, the photograph becomes a meditation on connection and the difficulty of reaching outward. The subject appears caught between isolation and the unspoken need to be seen or heard. Her turned back does not reject the viewer entirely but invites a quieter kind of attention—one rooted in patience and empathy.

“You are not an island” resonates through this visual language. The image suggests that while one may instinctively retreat inward, there is an underlying truth of interdependence. The figure’s partial concealment mirrors the internal barriers we build, while the openness implied by the wings hints at the possibility—and necessity—of connection beyond those walls.

Specifications

Print Size: Signed 8×10 in (20.32 x 25.4 cm)

Artwork Size: 6 ½ x 8 ½ (16.51 x 21.59 cm)

White Precut Mat Size: 11×14 in (27.94 x 35.56)

Frame NOT Included.

Textured Matte Finish. An acid-free, 100% cotton rag base with a natural textured finish. This paper has an extremely high color gamut and black density. This paper is coated with our popular Enhanced Matte coating, giving exceptional color gamut and high D-Max. The velvet surface is a favorite of photographers and artists alike, offering a unique museum-quality feel.

This print ships within one week of the order date.