Panama, 2023.

Panama, celebrated as “The door to the seas and key to the universe,” is home to nearly 4.5 million people. The city is rooted in rich culture ranging from Panamanian cuisine, colorful art, historic buildings, and traditional music. The beautiful city of Colón sits on the Caribbean coast and is home to the largest population of Afro-Panamanians in the country. Afro-Panamanians have historically suffered from coloroism and are amongst the most excluded groups in the country. As a tourist and outside observer using a camera to record the history of Colón and Panama City, I only felt honest documenting Afro-Panamanians by getting to know them personally. For the time I was there, I spent hours in intimate conversation with locals including artists, politicians, mothers and elders. This series explores the Afro-Panamanian diaspora and daily life in both Colón and Panama City. I hope to return one day and expand this series.

Photographic series on 35mm film.