I was reminded by Facebook that exactly one year ago I was in Bogotá, Colombia, with friend and fellow artist Kat Geng.
Kat, an adoptee raised in the US, courageously invited me to photograph the reunion between herself and her birth mother and two full sisters — all who she had only recently discovered existed.
We raised travel funds through GoFundMe and we set off for 9 days to meet them. And it was such an emotional journey, even for me. Of course I can’t speak for Kat, but I truly enjoyed being in Colombia for the first time and having the experience of meeting an enormously welcoming family.
As a photographer, Bogotá is an exciting place, even a little frightening. Due to ongoing crime, I had to be very careful with my equipment and had to sometimes get very creative when leaving the house or apartment. As a documentary photographer there to record the experience, this was definitely a challenge!
This collaborative story is still ongoing and under wraps, but we shared a few images with friends and loved ones. Here’s a peek.
My final thoughts: I love doing work like this which is meaningful, emotional and speaks to the times. My own family was divided by politics after the Korean war when the country was separated into North vs South, and even though this was long before my time, I feel compelled to do what I can for stories with similar echoes.
Many many thanks to Kat and her family for welcoming us, Jorge for driving us and keeping us safe, and of course Paula and Lina who showed me around the wilds of the Colombian mountains!