Are you a migrant or refugee who was detained in a Canadian prison or in immigration detention? Would you like to be a part of an art project? If yes, I am a photographer who believes in migrant justice and who would like to take your portrait.
This project seeks to shine a light on the ordeals people face in Canada's immigration detention system. Your portrait will show you as you wish to be seen, in the clothes that you wish you could have worn in front of the immigration judge. The photograph is a way of documenting that you exist as a whole person, and as a way of reclaiming your personal agency and freedom.
It is FREE to participate. I will print you a copy of your portrait to keep and, if you wish, I would be delighted to take a family portrait for you to have. I can photograph you in your home or wherever you feel comfortable. I would need one hour of your time. I will take all Covid precautions to keep everyone safe.
All of your information and the contents of our discussion will be confidential. This will be a collaboration between us, so you will have a say about how the photograph is taken. Any wishes to hide your identity will be respected. There are many ways to take a portrait!
I have been an artist for 14 years. Many of my projects tackle social and political injustice and complex issues of identity; some of them have been exhibited and published internationally. Though this project is being developed in consultation with migrant right's organizations, I am an independent artist who is doing this in solidarity with the migrant justice movement.
