Ebi Baralaye

The first artist photographed for this series was with Ebi (@baralaye) as he worked on what eventually become Sarcophagus III. I had been talking to him about taking his portrait for probably over a year in early 2024. It was such a pleasant evening, listening to jazz and talking about art while documenting his process. I love this kind of portrait work, as it combines a formal process with the informality of candid documentary work, the kind of photography that first drew me in to the artform over a decade ago.
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While the top image in the series (taken at the end of the session) is a proper environmental portrait, I gave very little direction during the rest of our time together, instead flexing my compositions around his natural work. This kind of creation is so life giving for me, a conversation between two artists, observing and reflecting back for them a perspective normally seen only by their own creations. I’m incredibly thankful to Ebi for allowing me into his private space and look forward to a second session someday now that he has a permanent studio outside his home.