My project, Everyone is Icarus, explores the aftermath of my father’s genetic testing, which revealed a hereditary disorder heightening his—and potentially my siblings’—susceptibility to cancer. This work documents how my family navigates vulnerability, resilience, and identity in response to inherited risk. Through this narrative, I aim to reveal the balance between acceptance and agency, highlighting both recognition and defiance toward the path carved out for us. With support from the Lucie Foundation Scholarship Program, I will travel to New Hampshire and South Carolina between November 2025 and August 2026 to create new work that offers an unfiltered glimpse into the how a family reshapes itself in response to inherited risk. Scholarship funds will offset travel, film, equipment, and printing costs, while enabling experimentation with alternative methods and interdisciplinary approaches. I have been revisiting my DNA test results and studying the MLH1 gene to inspire a more abstract representation of the body, which I plan to juxtapose with family portraits. The scholarship will encourage experimentation as I nurture this new path in my practice and as an MFA student at UNM. My goals include creating 30–40 new images; producing traditional darkroom and photopolymer prints; developing interdisciplinary works; pursuing exhibition opportunities at national galleries; and laying the foundation for my first monograph, highlighting this collaborative project with my family.
