This three-part series was photographed one year ago, right here on these very streets — the same block now hosting this exhibition. These images are more than photos. They’re living proof that beauty, resilience, and brilliance exist in the neighborhoods people often overlook. I am a NYCHA resident, a born-and-bred New Yorker, and a visual artist who refuses to let the world write me — or us — off as “less than.”

Each piece features a model who represents me and every Black woman native to New York City: fly, overcoming, precious, and powerful. The styling draws from my love of vintage art and my deep connection to the graffiti, bodegas, neon signs, and pop art that pulse through the city’s DNA. This expression is RAW and unique to everyone who encounters New York City. With a surreal, collage-like Photoshop technique, I amplify the rawness, complexity, and undeniable glow of being New York tough. That toughness? It’s not performative — it’s spiritual, generational, and embedded in our survival.

We are not just surviving — we are gems.

And gems are formed under pressure.

MESSAGE TO THE INNER-CITY CHILD:

To every kid growing up in NYCHA, in tight apartments, on corners filled with noise and possibility — this is for you. You are not shameful. You are not small. If your circle doesn’t see your worth, change your circle. If they talk down on your dreams, don’t shrink. You were born to shine, to imagine, to build, to illuminate. God hears you. God sees you. And yes — God will answer your prayers.

Keep going. Keep creating. You are a native gem — forged in fire, made to last.