The Dominican Republic and Haiti not only share the island of Hispaniola, but a history fraught with tension and conflict. Since Haitian independence in 1803, and the Dominican independence from Haiti in 1844, the two nations have managed to coexist despite mistrust and racial tensions.  Today, hundreds of thousands of Haitians live and work in the Dominican Republic and struggle every day to make a life for themselves and their families.

After the passing of Law 168-13 in 2013, social media was awash with the same kind of prejudice I witnessed as a child. Reading about such lack of compassion is why I was compelled and inspired to create this series of portraits.

I traveled to the Dominican Republic to capture the images of Haitian and Dominican subjects that would become the faces for this project. My intention was to create a series of portraits depicting Haitians and Dominicans, side by side, as equals and without prejudice. Using the photographs as a starting point, I manipulate the images, first digitally and later by hand as I incorporate mixed media as part of my process.

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