Against a clear and deep blue sky,
One tree stretched tall, its branches high,
And stiffly they, of movement none,
Stood true and straight, their course to run.
- Ernestine Northover
/photoblog
Ben Kim
Ben Kim's South Korea is first and foremost his parents'. He left them behind so he can be free of an army service that could have been less than kind to him. A musician, composer and teacher (which he really likes - but he likes "real" gigs even better). Ben likes Toronto but will be happy to find his next turn of the spiral south of the border. Could be that he represents a new global type? And I ask: how do we keep'm here with us?
Soufran and Kabri - From Eritrea to Tel Aviv | June 2016
In my last visit to Tel Aviv I met with and photographed a few African refugees. A pilot for a possible series. When you hear their harrowing stories, sometimes it’s the anecdotes that can get to you. Soufran was describing the brutal crossing of the Sinai desert en route to the border between Egypt and Israel. In order to dissuade them from drinking too much water, the Bedouin smugglers spiked the water with fuel to conserve water. They could only drink enough to stay alive.
Hers and her husband Kabri’s journey began in Eritrea, wound through Sudan and then Egypt through the Sinai desert. The same biblical desert mentioned in the old testament in a story Jews tell every Passover about their great escape from Pharaoh's slavery on their way to the promised land, thousands of years ago.
They met in Tel Aviv 5 years ago, got married and now have 2 girls. Their situation in Israel is difficult. While allowing them in, and even providing some papers and work permits, the state refuses to grant them and over 40 thousand other African refugees, citizenship. So their situation is precarious. Kabri’s brother died in 2013. He drowned trying to cross from Libya to Italy. Their connection with their families back home is intermittent. The future unknown.
In contrast with their many challenges they project calm and warmth. Soufran specializes in African style hair braiding, and Kabri, despite getting a degree in advanced construction when he studied in Asmara, finds the odd jobs wherever he can.
Studio chair.
Yigal Shtayim - A force of Nature | June, 30th 2016
I met Yigal through a mutual friend. I was looking to meet and photograph African Refugees who escaped to Israel. Shtayim responded almost immediately; "Let me connect you to so and so..." and then "Why rent a photography studio? You can use mine!", and than finally "Don't worry about it. Just come down and it'll be fine". So I did.
Yigal is an accomplished painter living in Tel Aviv. Gerhardt Richter fans would also fall for Shtayim's incredible portraits (Adam Abdullah's is palpable), juxtaposed city-scapes ("the white city" of Tel Aviv), and more recently hyper realistic abstracts depicting ship wrecks destroyed by the infamous Nazi U-Boats on their way to Europe from North America. He's strictly working in Black and White but his creations are some of the most colourful paintings I've seen.
Shtayim is a force of nature. With over 10k followers on Facebook, he was one of the founders in a organization helping African Refugees in Israel. His physical presence is powerful and a delight for portraiture making. But most importantly, on my scale anyway, he's a Mench!
Fly Lady Di is in the house | December 9, 2015
Diana Reyes, aka Fly Lady Di, introduced herself as a multi disciplinary artist when we recently met for our portrait session. A DJ, painter and dancer/performer - Reyes is a thoroughly modern artist. She effortlessly (or so it seems) transitions between all of her creative endeavours and makes it very easy to online. I'm listening to her mix on Cloud Mix as I’m typing this post, I watched a video where she danced with Jason Derulo on stage for this year's Much Music Video Awards (Derulo’s “Wiggle” was viewed an astonishing 600 million times on YouTube), and as quickly as scrolling down her Facebook page I’ve seen a smartphone video documenting her first Baluto eating experience, surrounded by a visibly loving family in the Philippines. A click away are her photos taken with a Filipino Folk-Fusion dance troupe called HATAW here in Toronto.
Not all is roses however. Born here in Canada to Filipino parents, Reyes talks about racial as well as gender “attitudes” and that she does not always feel perfectly at home here in Canada. Moving away from the cocooning of her old neighbourhood in Markham, where she was surrounded by the comfort of ethnic diversity, she found more established neighbourhoods in Toronto a bit alienating. Even a visit to a boutique coffee shop can feel odd.
But how wonderful it is to see all of those elements bouncing inside of this active and energetic artist.
Haroon Siddiqui - an outsider and Insider all at once | December 5, 2015
Charles Foran, a Canadian author and now a CEO with the Institute for Canadian Citizenship generously introduced me to Haroon Siddiqui, a prolific journalist and a writer. I'm glad he did! I read Mr. Siddiqui's opinion columns for "The Toronto Star" over the years (he was the editor of the news paper's opinions section) and I was especially looking forward to our meeting.
Our portrait session took place in the comfort of his welcoming home, and it turned out to be every bit as engaging as I imagined it would be. His keen mind, humour and unflinching views on Canadian social and political issues seems to reflect his unique point of view, as an insider and an outsider all at once. As an immigrant myself, I completely identified with his recounting of a journey back to Mumbai, visiting with his ailing mother in hospital. Many of us who came to Canada, leaving behind our loved ones, experienced similar scenes and feelings.
The series "Hyphenated Canadians" and my conversations with immigrants taught me that we have so much more in common, despite our different backgrounds, ethnicities and religions.
Kudzu no more | November 25, 2015
I traveled to Kentucky a few weeks back only to find that my beloved (but much maligned) Kudzu succumbed to the change of seasons and therefore its temporary death. I did not however leave the scene without a couple of fall shots, and a list of new locations I will revisit when this voracious plant will return in the spring.
Port of call | November 11, 2015
A quick drive by Leslie street yielded a few photos where the city meets its waterfront. This is a part of the Toronto that's thankfully, still muddy, somewhat shabby and industrial. Beware the developers awaiting opportune time.
Kwame Stephens: author, poet and playwright | October 15, 2015
The writer and author Kwame Stephens has a day job. Like many artists who prefer to self finance their art form (I immediately thought of Charles Bukowski who was a letter filing clerk in the US post office), Kwame prefers full control over his time and art form. His roots are in Ghana but he traveled across the continent in his youth, following his father's posts and assignments. As a writer, he is focused on two communities, African and gay. Sometimes both at the same time. The first distinctive thing I noticed is how perceptive he is. And by his own admission, very curious, surely the necessary tools of the author's craft. It therefore was not hard to capture his penetrating gaze as evident from a couple of the portraits presented here.
Bahareh Yaraghi acts out | October 7, 2015
When an Iranian born actress meets an Israeli photographer they talk about Rice. The Persian style of cooking rice which is simply sublime. Give people a couple of thousand years and they'll figure it out. Bahareh talks of a strong pull to her Iranian roots, present and past. Culture. Family. Politics. How it coincides with being Canadian. It's a rich and enriching experience for a young girl who came to Canada at the age of 8. There is just enough tension between those intertwined entities to make reality a bit denser and more varied. The freedom to practice diverse cultures is the icing on the Canada cake. Bahareh is also passionate about her chosen profession, theatre acting. it's not just the trade that keeps her enthralled. It's also the community she loves so much.
Walkabout pt.1 | October 7, 2015
There's nothing like a walkabout to invigorate the body. I went treasure hunting in the back alleys, laneways and streets of Leslieville and Cabbage Town.
Kudzu in Kentucky | September 27, 2015
I'm back from another visit to Kentucky's eastern counties, chasing around Kudzu covered landscapes. This invasive "ivy" is hated by locals because it grows extremely fast and then covers (and stifles) native flora. It grows over anything in its way, almost like liquid green stuff. But it is also visually beautiful (in my eyes), something you can only see if you're somewhat removed from its immediate impact.
Hanna Kiel | September 4, 2015
Hanna's journey from South Korea to Vancouver and later Toronto, was to be her liberation from the bonds of tradition. She's the youngest child in her family. A curious and observant young person who longed to express herself in a society that did not expect it from a child. Moving away she was free to finally explore her creativity. And while she holds dear her family and old country, it is here that she found her calling in choreography. But she's not resting, wanting to explore a love for movies and directing - and how this could inform dancing and choreography.
Marcelle Lambert
Marcelle's regal demeanour, somewhere between a princess and a queen, does not belie her steely focus on her career in business and taking care of her family. But she's also aspiring to try other aspects of life, including acting. The mark of such diverse personality is reinvention.
Lua Shayenne is: Ghanian? Italian? Canadian? | August 25, 2015
"..I'm Canadian Now. Yes. I Am A Canadian!..."
Lua perfectly blends many influences, histories and ambitions. She is like a careful blend resulting in a great wine - in many ways the perfect Canadian. She's comfortable in her skin and her identity. She mixes ambition, generosity, edginess and a relaxed attitude. We both became a bit emotional when she told me the story of her parents and their sacrifice so she can make her way to Canada. What a wonderful, quintessential story of an immigrant starting life in a new country.
Jasmyn Fyffe | August 19, 2015
When Jasmyn sits with me to talk about her art and life, there's enough spare energy to power every appliance within a dozen feet of us. Here's an artist who is laser focused on continuing to build her career in dance, not as a side project, but a full time occupation. But when it comes to the topic of gender, skin colour and race definitions, she's especially animated. She finds the idea of being boxed inside rigid categories to be especially repugnant. And while she's mindful of her heritage (Barbados), and at times incorporates it into her work, she's also adamant that pre conceived ideas around what "black women" should be like or do, especially in the world of dance, is counterproductive or worse.
Trinity Mpho is a Man with a Mission | August 14, 2015
"...If you don't believe in your dreams, how do you expect your fans to believe in you?!..."
Trinity arrived in Canada in 2012 from his native Botswana. Already a successful and accomplished musician, he wanted to find a new bigger market and an audience for his Afro Jazz and Afro Beats music. It was evident from our first few minutes of discussion that Trinity is driven and hard working. Less than 3 years in Canada and he's impatient, wanting to fulfill his goals and aspirations. A true music entrepreneur.
Percy's Robe | August 10, 2015
From time to time a session will result in an unusual abundance of good photos to choose from. My meeting and consequent photo shoot with Percy Annane-Dwumfour was especially fruitful. I'm struggling to decide which of them I should display here and elsewhere (Instagram, here I come!). The word that comes to mind when I'm thinking of his physicality and personality is: graceful. The most poignant moment in our session was when Percy pulled out a traditional robe he brought over from Ghana, which he then draped over his body, so naturally as if he was wearing it every day of his life. A beautiful soul.
Kentucky state of mind | August 7, 2015
It's a state of ROLLING hills, MANICURED horse farms, WILD mountains and GREAT friends. A few photos from my visit and travels in Kentucky.
Kathleen and Marc
Aaron