It Means Everything Because This Is Who I Am

This series is an ongoing exploration of identity and human connection—driven by curiosity and shaped by experiences of loss.

A project by Yvela Jessica (b. 2002, Haïti)

‘It Means Everything Because This Is Who I Am’ reflects on the importance of representation, the profound impact of adoption, the continuous process of embracing who we are, and finding ways to carry what loss leaves behind.

I was born in Haïti and later adopted into a white family in the Netherlands. Rooted in this, I have often found myself questioning my sense of self, and so I asked:

How do you shape your identity when you have already lost fundamental pieces?

Through photography, film, poetry, and tactile elements, I navigate this question by exploring themes of family, friendship, home, belonging, and the emotional voids that can exist within these connections. I took on both literal and metaphorical journeys, and, while being moved by stories shared along the way, I dared to delve into my own story, creating space for joy, grief, and hope to emerge together, honoring the layered nature of our shared experiences.

Situated at the intersection of autobiography, documentary, representation, and cultural critique, this work doesn’t seek to provide answers, but to create space, to witness eachohter, to speak up, not as an accusation, but as an opening for dialogue and connection.

Ultimately, this project holds many layers. At its core, it’s about daring to confront what loss means when life has only just begun. It explores the realities of adoption, often romanticized in Western society, while overlooking the deep, lifelong impact of separation and loss.

It speaks to the importance of finding community. For adoptees, especially those navigating life between cultures, histories, and names, representation becomes a form of recognition and community becomes a place to be witnessed without explanation. It reminds us we are not alone in our grief, our questioning, or our becoming.

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The images and interviews are shaped by what my younger self once longed to witness, question, and hear. Creating together with those I photograph is central to my process, my aim is to build a space where people recognize themselves or see themselves fully for the first time.

After looking at her portrait, an older woman shared:

“I didn’t know I was this beautiful, thank you!”

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The repetition in the film that is part of this work speaks to an ongoing journey, capturing the complexity of Afro hair and the deeply personal act of reclaiming its beauty, a beauty I couldn’t see for a long time, and one I’m still learning to embrace. Woven into the work is the voice of my mother in Haïti, whom I recently found and have since connected with online. She greets me in French, then speaks both her name and mine. Her voice is more than sound; it is the resonance of a past I had been separated from, and one I have now been fortunate enough to reconnect with.

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Photobook (work in progress) | Installation

This photobook is my way of reclaiming stories that speak to both personal identity and communal experience. Through photography and interviews, it creates space for those shaped by separation, migration, and complex family histories. It centers representation for adoptees, the Black diaspora, and anyone navigating identity across distance and disconnection.

By weaving together different disciplines, such as photography, film, poetry, and tactile elements, I aim to create installations that offer space where people feel welcome, seen, and represented.