Artist Statment :

As a person of color and a man who belongs to the Sikh religion which requires me to embrace my Kesh (hair) by wearing a Turban and keeping a long beard – I am always aware of my presence in the world, which is often met with discrimination and marginalization. As a recent immigrant to the United States, I am unable to live as freely as I have in my home country, where my religion is recognized and respected. In this series of photographs taken at Venice Beach Skatepark of Skaters and Rollerbladers, I am exploring ways in which the body moves freely and is open to new opportunities with each sequence of movements. The brief moments of the subject up in the air evoke a feeling of weightlessness and how freeing and liberating that must feel. The photographs freeze the subject in moments of levitation and openness, which juxtapose the daily life of Sikh men living in this foreign land. In this series of photographs, I am exploring ideas of freedom and lightness of being – the process, of becoming a ray of hope that someday I will find a home away from home.