Philosopher Diana Prokofyeva considers a photograph to be a phenomenon existing between two worlds - the living and the dead. A way to avoid death by copying a moment and suspending it within time. She suggests that a photograph gives confidence of existence, a way to state “Here I am and was, and always shall have been”.

At a young age, I developed a deep fear of the inevitability of death. However, when family archives present mortality as a connection between myself, others and humanity - this dread softens. I am/was/always is an evolving series that looks to photography as a method of  conceptualizing grief and mortality. Using family archives from the past century and conceptual imagery, I locate myself within a chain of human experience. I look to the women who came before me, observing their proof of existence with reverence and the knowledge that I will one day add to this catalog. Through this series, I aim to overshadow fear with curiosity. 

Photography gives way to observe temporality, both from afar and within - a tool turning existential crisis into appreciation for those living before and after our own fleeting bodies. A collective chant of “Here I am and was, and always shall have been”.