GUIDED BY THE RIVER

2017

I have a personal connection to water, to history, and to family stories that are told by these elements. My grandfather created a new life when he escaped communist Albania by swimming across the Mediterranean Sea to a small island off the coast of Greece. He was looking for a brighter future. This water served as a channel for his own rebirth and consequently gave life to my family; born of water. My mother is drawn to her roots like she is drawn to the very air that surrounds the ocean. Growing up near water served as a perfect escape for us just as it did for my grandfather. These stories and experiences create a fluid line between my past and present.

Guided by the River stems from a desire to regain a connection to water in its raw form. I let the waters here in Virginia take me on a new journey—one that connects me to the past while simultaneously creating another story. In this search, I’ve come to know the history and folklore of these waters and I find an overwhelming depth and a spirit to them that I did not notice before.

I use historical photographs taken on these rivers and pair them with my own in order to draw a visual connection to stories and memories of my own family history. Within the series, religious undertones surface and serve as spiritual reminders of the unique, connective quality that my own family has and the consistent flow of water that carries these stories across generations.