Car Pictures

Car Pictures (2023) was made on assignment for The New York Times' "Where We Are" series during the summer of 2022. For many months, Adali photographed his friends, exploring how his community comes together within the intimacy of one's car.

My earliest memories of Los Angeles were made from the car. Always at a distance and through a window, the car enabled and inhibited my seeing. Consequently, car infrastructure simultaneously divided communities, exposed "haves" and "have nots", worsened air quality and global warming.

My first car was my dad's old 1983 Mercedes Benz, which we converted to run on vegetable oil stolen from various fry-cook's dumpsters. Being that I grew up in this car, the torn leather seats, broken A/C unit and falafel exhaust smell feel integral to my exploration of Los Angeles.

Being dependent on the public transit system as a teenager allowed me to realize and appreciate the benefits of car ownership. No more hour-long waits for the Metro, no more dank-smelling clothes, no more unknown ETA's. In my car, I'm in control; the radio, safety and destination are all up to me.

Having spent the last few years in social isolation, recent engagements with my friends has been more needed than ever. Within the space of the car, my friends and I have deepened our relationships to one another, and to Southern California.

Whether on a roadtrip or stuck in traffic, time spent in the car is made far more enjoyable when surrounded by the people I love most.