alain’s Universe
Photography is my way of creating the universe of my dreams. I use this medium to find the grand in the mundane, and to capture the essence of humanity even when people are not the subject. This, to me is the soul of photography.
While growing up in my childhood home in Canarsie, Brooklyn, my Haitian family kept my siblings and I in legliz, lekòl, lakay (church, school, and home) as much as they could. With such limited options, we used lakay to center joy, creativity, and community in trying to materialize our wild imaginations.
Lakay was the universe I created to write, direct, and shoot my first short film with my uncle’s large camcorder before I reached middle school—the mic didn’t work, so I like to consider it a silent film. It’s where I wrote my first song using the instrumentals included in my favorite video game’s soundtracks. I wrote my first poem and church play, and edited my first self-directed music video here too.
After two decades of being a self-taught artist, I’m still intentionally building the universes of my dreams. If any of this resonates with you (or if you simply love Haitian mangoes and/or good coffee as much as I do), let’s connect!
My equipment:
Cameras: Canon AV-1, Canon FTb QL, Fujifilm X-T4
Lenses: Canon FD 50mm f/1.8; Fuji 35mm f/2
Education:
Harvard University (Master of Education) - 2017
NYU (Bachelor of Arts, English Literature) - 2014
“The honor, I assure you, was theirs” - W. E. B. Du Bois
