2019-2025 Description: When land is the basis of life, conflict and forced displacement strip indigenous peoples of their humanity. My long-term project, Pwa K’Nyaw: Seeds of Resilience, explores this vital disruption by focusing on the struggle for self-determination of Karen indigenous communities in Myanmar. The work delves into their profound connection to their ancestral territory, documenting traditional knowledge, rituals, and practices, with the aim of demonstrating how this relationship not only sustains their ways of life and livelihoods but also serves as a source of strength in the face of adversity. Plan: Until now, I’ve developed the main body of work in Karen State, but I am missing an essential component to complete the project: documenting the lives of Karen refugees on the other side of the Myanmar-Thai border. Thailand hosts the largest community of Karen refugees; roughly 200,000. I plan to travel to areas such as Mae Sariang, Mae Sam Laep, and Mae Sot, where I have already established connections with communities and organizations. I will tell the stories of people who have recently fled their homes, as well as those of first and second-generation families who escaped military offensives in previous decades. Goals: Produce 30 new images, share the work in photo festivals in 2025, create a dummy draft for a potential photobook, gallery exhibition in Chiang Mai, conduct a visual storytelling training with the Karen Women's Organization
