Across The Water

“What drives you?” It’s this same question that’s lead me to think about everything I create a little deeper. And I won’t say my culture is what has driven me all these years because I’d be lying to you. But it was here where I realized how much I overlooked (and I’m not alone when I say this) what this “culture” has become. We are now the face. And for so many years we’ve held on to the same music, our wild, beautiful Spanish, the way we dress, the way we move—and we never stopped to think how powerful that actually is.  keeping it alive without even realizing. Still Dominican at the core, but learning and expanding here in a city so diverse there’s no option but to pick things up. That deeply rooted Dominican culture remains despite tremendous change and expansion. Across the Water isn’t just about taking beautiful photos. It’s about seeing ourselves clearly.

It’s about giving credit to the pieces of us we used to overlook.

Culture wasn’t always my why. But it’s starting to feel like my because. And I’m leaning into it more than ever now.

– Leander