Tra[u]mas

Trauma is often defined as “a deeply distressing or disturbing experience” - something that over 70% of adults experience in the United States. Tra[u]mas is a series that investigates the ways in which trauma shapes us beneath the surface, often unseen by the outside world.

Through a spectrum of portraits showing a variety of ages, identities, and lived experiences, this body of work challenges the notion that trauma has a singular face. Each portrait is marked by a physical distortion or wound - visual metaphors for how our internal struggles can manifest underneath the surface. The top layer is unharmed, to show how each person can present ‘normal’. This is not to glorify the concept of experiencing trauma, but to make visible what is typically hidden, and to honor that everyone’s personal experiences divulge in different ways.

My hope is to invite viewers to question assumptions based on appearance and to engage in a deeper consideration of empathy and human complexity. Tra[u]mas seeks to create space for reflection, recognition, and connection—reminding us that while the shape of our wounds may differ, the experience of carrying them is deeply human.