Combat: Short Intervention

In 2013, during the exhibition at the Honolulu Museum of Art, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Iolani School and Alison Uehara, the photography teacher. The first project involved 9th-12th grade art and photography students, with about 125 participants. Thanks to the support and collaboration of teachers Alison and Holly, the project ran smoothly. Over 10 days, we created 18 x 24 cm original Combat pieces. Six months later, I returned for a shorter residency to work on  Roman Photo.

One boy and twenty girls (2008)

After my solo exhibition at MAC Créteil between 2008 and 2009, the institution invited me to work with their local high school, Lycée Johannes Gutenberg. They offered me this opportunity because I was seeking a change in my work. And what an experience it was!

The students were training to become caregivers, nurses, and similar professions. Many of them were kind to me, but the environment was chaotic. One incident that stands out was a physical fight between two girls in the class. Ironically, I liked both of them, finding them both brilliant in my work. It was my first time working in this kind of setting, and I still had much to learn about running a workshop smoothly.
In a way, these young women and a boy felt like my adoptive siblings—they welcomed me into their big, dynamic family. Humanly, I enjoyed being in their world, almost like their class mascot. I vividly remember one boy sharing why he wanted to pursue his profession: he had lost his father and wanted to help others who were sick. Some of the girls, focused on their appearance, participated only in the background, as shadows.