Artist Statement

Inspired by Irving Penn’s “Small Trades” and August Sander’s “Citizens Of The Twentieth Century” I journeyed to Morocco to pursue my project “EYES of MOROCCO” – a project that would consist of over 230 portraits photographed over 20 days and would take me from the city of Marrakesh, through the Atlas Mountains to the small surrounding cities of the Sahara Desert. With the expectation of shooting all the portraits in a very controlled lighting environment, my team and I would venture into the streets and bring back the working people of Morocco to my makeshift studio set up in rented apartments, riads, mud houses and tents made of Moroccan blankets. It was there where we made friends and began to understand this country, its heritage and its people. It was there where we witnessed the effect of cultural oppression on their women making them shy, shameful, unworthy, and unattractive. This was a diffi-cult thing for me to see coming from such a free country. It was the people of the desert however, that somehow changed me inside. They were so real, loving and truly some of the most special people I have ever had the chance to work with. It was so inspiring to see how they live so simply. Here, in this book, you will find a small edit of my portraits, a few landscapes and documentary images taken as I made my way through this special country. I hope you enjoy my selection of photographs that I choose to share with you. When I go through this work I feel very grateful to be a photographer and for my opportunities to travel and meet the beautiful people of this world.