After studying photography for a number of years, I am drawn to portrait and documentary photography. My previous works have focused on youth culture, privacy and surveillance, climate activism, as well as intergenerational conversations around the theme of photography itself. I belong to a generation that is riddled with anxieties about the future of our planet, given the fact that every day, climate change becomes a more pressing issue as the clock keeps ticking. My work as a photographer examines and interrogates the relationship between age, activism, photography, and social media, whilst also drawing attention to the climate crisis. I want my art to inspire people, especially young people, into realizing that their actions and voices will be heard and that they can enact change even if they feel helpless as they cannot vote and find it difficult to be taken seriously. My recent project “Love and Rage: The New Faces of Climate Activism” allows important messages to be conveyed through the voices of the youth and opens up intergenerational discussion on climate change. I created this project as a response to the current culture and moment. Across the globe, youth climate activism is increasing, partially due to the accessibility of information through social media channels. In recent years there has been an increase in youth organized global climate strikes such as the September 20th climate strike that happened in 2019. The halo-like lighting around my subjects’ in this project was influenced by traditional portraiture paintings that were often reserved for the sacred, the rich, and the royal. I aim to challenge who has traditionally been depicted, and through the medium of photography, I can elevate these young activists in New York in order to not only make them known but also make their fight for climate justice heard. I consider these young climate activists important historical figures who are working against the norm of what children are ‘meant to do’ and are actively inspiring and educating thousands of people on the issue of climate change. This project disrupts the frequently stated notion that one person does not hold that much power in terms of enacting change, as this project displays young activists as young as 8 years old fighting against climate change by organizing demonstrations and working with local politicians to get legislation passed. I am drawn to make work that draws attention to social justice issues, and that encourages viewers to become more informed and empowered to use their voices. I believe that it is my responsibility as an artist to make work that makes people think, question, interrogate, and understand the world they inhabit, especially if that world is in desperate need of radical change, especially when it comes to climate action.