I’m excited to be a part of Hennepin Theatre Trust's It’s The People 2023. This public art project, made in collaboration with Clear Channel, highlights members of the community in the theme of “Network of Mutuality.” This year’s project will also launch alongside the first Minnesota Triennial. The portraits will be displayed on billboards and large-scale banners across Minneapolis this summer, and the Minnesota Triennial will be hosted by Public Art St. Paul June 24 – September 16.

In collaboration with Sachidanandhan Venkatakrishnan, President of the Tamil Association of Minnesota (Minnesota Tamil Sangam, or MNTS, a non-profit organization), I will create one large-scale tableaux photograph depicting MN artists performing Tamil dances and traditional music instruments rooted in southern India and Sri Lanka.

As a portrait photographer since 2006, I am interested in sharing stories of the Minnesota community, especially those underserved in the arts. Lighting, styling and a formal approach elevate my subject out of the ordinary, telling a visual story of strength, character, and confidence.

I was intrigued with the theme, “Network of Mutuality” phrase drawn from the 1963 Martin Luther King, Jr. quote: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”