Artist Statement

Thrift Gala was a fashion and community event built around a Garden of Eden theme, giving everyone the chance to interpret the theme through their own style and creativity.

I was invited by Free Mind Seekie to be part of the media team, where I photographed the runway and documented the event throughout the day. I also created my own look for the theme, called “Eve After Dark.” For the look, I pulled pieces and visual elements from my The Botanical Muse archive and reworked them for the Garden of Eden concept. It was a way of bringing an idea from my self-portrait work into a new setting through fashion and styling.

I was also invited to walk the runway in a crowd-favorite look, so I got to experience the event from both sides of the camera.

I photographed and edited the event coverage, while the photos of me were taken by photographer Focuz and edited by me. I also curated the final carousel, bringing the images together through color, repetition, movement, and the overall flow of the event.