These Lips - Israel Hammond

For Portland poet Israel Hammond's art gallery installation, I translated his powerful poem on 'White Washing' into a visual narrative, capturing the tension between identity and societal pressures.

Here are the first two pages of the original concept that I created:

Pivoting from Art Directing to now being the Director of Photography, I used high-contrast lighting to emphasize the stark divide between light and shadow, symbolizing the poem’s themes of erasure and self-discovery. By choosing a square aspect ratio, I created a sense of confinement, visually boxing in the subject to echo his struggle. Every element—from composition to contrast—was crafted to intensify the poem’s message and bring his experience to life in a visceral, immersive way.