Staging Observations traverse into crafted narratives and visual storytelling materialized through photography and video, where the boundaries between reality and fiction blur to reveal hidden layers of meaning. In this work, I stage tableaus to evoke mystery and tension, inviting viewers to question what they know—or think they know—about the people and spaces they see. These tableaus sometimes involve fictive characters or real individuals who transform into fictionalized versions of themselves through the process of being staged. The result is an uncanny reflection between observation and invention, reality and performance.

In Mirroring Mirror, subjects are staged against a minimal, refined backdrop. The simplicity of the scene allows subtle gestures and interactions to take center stage. For instance, in one video portrait, a woman braids her hair back and forth between two mirrored screens that gaze at one another, creating a loop of self-reflection. In another, a man draws with both hands simultaneously, making eye contact with the viewer as if sketching their portrait, turning the audience into part of the tableau.

Another significant series, The Flemish, reflects group portraiture inspired by the compositions and lighting of Flemish primitives and artists like Velázquez. In these staged photographs, I arrange families into tableaus that initially appear posed. Yet, I avoid traditional direction, allowing moments of boredom and long pauses so natural interactions and behaviors emerge between the subjects. As time passes and the subjects grow out of their anxiety, they become relaxed or uneasy and begin to act more like themselves or perhaps heightened versions of themselves. In these moments, I capture the photograph, bringing out an essence between deliberate arrangement and spontaneous expression.

In Domestic Encounters, the staging shifts to constructed scenes that mimic domestic environments. These settings are often fabricated; the people may not live there, and the objects may be out of place. Yet, they evoke the familiar atmosphere of a home, suffused with subtle tension and mystery. Each arrangement invites the viewer to question the authenticity of what they see and to sense the quiet strangeness that permeates these staged spaces. Through careful arrangement and an embrace of the unexpected, I craft spaces where the familiar becomes mysterious and the ordinary reveals its complexity. In these approaches, unseen narratives and subtle dramas within everyday moments transform into otherness, as banality is elevated into aesthetics.

The final series, While Absent-Present, blends found and staged moments in outdoor settings. In one instance, I discovered the remnants of a demolished structure, beautifully arranged under falling snow, reminiscent of The Raft of the Medusa by Géricault. I filmed this still scene, allowing the viewer to experience the slow, poignant snowfall over these fragments of history. In another, I set up a young woman reading a book in a park during spring. The scene is simple, almost mundane, yet it resonates with the fresh vitality of the season, inviting viewers into a moment of quiet contemplation.