After moving to New York City, I struggled with the inevitable feelings of confusion and loneliness that come when moving to a new place. The city felt intimidating and I found it hard to relate to anything. People I’ve Met is a series of portraits inspired by the feelings of being a stranger in a new place. As a foreigner I wanted to feel a connection to the environment I was in, as a result, I started to photograph; “People I’ve Met”. In this series, I explore the connection between the people I meet on the streets of New York City and myself. By finding strangers I can relate to and whose portraits I take, I started to feel more at home. I am a seeker of non-traditional beauty and quirkiness, I look beyond superficialities. By seeing myself reflected in the portraits of the people I take, I created a bridge between the city and I. These portraits reflect a part of who I am, as I slowly start belonging here. My observation of others’ lives reveals more about my own here. 

Photography becomes a transactional vehicle for exploring personality, strangeness, and belonging. My documentation reflects our common struggle to feel at home - in a new place, in concert with others, in one’s own skin. People I’ve Met is dedicated to those who like me are struggling to feel connected to their new home and feel lost in the crowded streets of New York City.