Blair Academy Photography
We are all unique. Yet, the one thing that seems to be the ontological glue bridging all of our narratives together is the trauma that we all share. Though the experience that accumulates to trauma might not be identical, the emotions imbedded are universal sentiments that are inherent to trauma. In order to alleviate the stigma surrounding personal trauma, I investigated the question of What are the silent manifestations of trauma within people’s Lives? Knowing that someone understands the struggles that has weaved its way into your life is a constant reminder that you are not alone.
Traveling throughout Vietnam, I have been able to connect to strangers and photograph their personal struggles; hence, each photograph shows an alternate trauma. It started with me, in image 1, of my own struggle with masculinity in gender identity. Then, continued on from images 2 to 13 with the retelling of trauma in others narratives including their personal struggle with the glorification of purity, sexual assault, toxic masculinity, death, substance abuse, and much more. I decided to customize a ViewMaster, a toy, to display my work to convey the root of most trauma: Childhood behavior.
