AFTER (the 2016 USA election)

I started capturing portraits a week after the 2016 USA election. The actors, stage managers, producers, makeup artists, dancers, writers, and filmmakers shown here all identify with a minority group that is underrepresented in our creative and collective consciousness. During each photography session I spoke the words that had been on my mind since before the election: hate, love, tolerance, immigration, deportation, racism, xenophobia, transsexuality, fear, islamophobia, colonization, whitewashing, mourning, women, violence, silence, homophobia- and photographed the subjects' reactions. Seven years AFTER I began this series, it is clear that the social climate has not changed. In fact, it is more flammable and volatile than ever.

With AFTER, I aim to create a space in which minority artists can be seen by those who oppress them- whether consciously or unconsciously.  In this space freedom is key and vulnerability is allowed. It's a place where our voices are heard through the collective power of an allegorical ensemble fueled by the torque of photography. I want to battle oppression with peace. As artists, our offering is our choice to connect. Only our vulnerability can liberate us from patterns of oppression, rejection, and expectation. 

Format- digital

Modesto Flako Jiménez. Actor, Writer, Poet. Word- immigration

Taylor Reynolds. Director. Words- racial profiling

Ugo Anyanwu. Actor. Word- racism

Phillip Burke. Actor, Playwright. Word- guns

Mónica Delgado Lemos. Actor. Word- magic

Jordane J Christie. Actor. Words- a push

Pato Masera. Performer. Production Manager. Word- colonisation

Allison Strong. Actor, Singer, Songwriter. Word- colonisation

Francis Mateo. Actor. Poet. Word- tolerance

Modesto Lacén. Actor, Dancer. Word- whitewashing

Raveena Gupta. Trader. Actor. Word- bisexual

Francisco Solorzano. Actor, Director, Screenwriter, Filmmaker. Words- the wall

Sharon Lam. Actor. Aerialist. Words- second class citizen

Javierantonio González. Director, Playwright, Actor. Words- a fence

Andrea Aranguren. Actor. Word- hug

Julia Cavagna. Actor. Physical Playwright. Word- whitewashing

Sasha Dominy. Actor. Word- hate

Otto Luna. Actor. Filmmaker. Word- mourning

Julio Carrillo. Fashion Buyer. Stylist. Word- homophobia

Tania Del Pilar. Actor. Teacher. Word- hispanic

Rojo Robles. Filmmaker, Writer, Playwright, Actor. Word- love

Naren Weiss. Actor, Model, Playwright. Word- xenophobia

Bahar Beihaghi. Actor. Word- islamophobia

Drea Herrera. Immigrants' Rights Organizer, Slam Poet. Word- violence

Isuri Wijesundara. Performer, Creator, Advocate. Word- racism

Ally. Make-up Artist. Actor

Angel. Actor. Word- transexual

Frank De Julio. Actor. Words- being gay

Yokko. Movement Artist. Actor. Word- women

Aida Aminpour. Actor. Word- racism

Vane Terán. Photographer. Words- Standing Rock

Yaitza Rivera. Director. Actor. Word- silence

Efrén Sánchez. Movement Artist. Actor. Word- fear (costume valentinpeter.de )

Rui Dun. Actor, Director, Stage Manager. Word- colonisation

Jorge Luna. Actor. Photographer. Word- deportation (self-portrait) (costume valentinpeter.de )