“Siblings”
This photographic series is an intimate exploration of shared trauma, reconciliation, and growth between my younger brother and me. The portraits are deeply personal, reflecting our fractured yet evolving bond.
I began by capturing stark, emotive portraits of us both—expressions that embody the weight of our experiences. These images were then projected onto our resting faces in complete darkness, symbolizing the layers of pain, history, and vulnerability that have shaped us. The projections merge past and present, highlighting the emotional scars we carry alongside our hope for a better future.
Growing up, our relationship was marked by conflict rather than connection. We stole from and betrayed each other, struggling to feel understood. I turned to substances to cope, leaving my brother feeling abandoned. He found his own ways to escape the same feelings of neglect, displacement, and loss of belonging that defined our childhood.
In 2021, my brother visited me in Toronto, and for the first time, we began to truly connect. We realized we were processing the same pain in different ways. Together, we vowed to break our family’s legacy of disconnection.
These photographs confront the weight of our shared past while symbolizing the healing process—an ongoing journey toward understanding and closeness.