Poisonous Soil

This ongoing series explores notions of masculinity and investigates scars of transgenerational misery in patriarchal societies.

I interview and collaborate with young adults in pivotal moments of their lives across the U.S. and Kazakhstan, portraying vulnerable states of shame, surrender, isolation, and fear.

The title, Poisonous Soil, refers to a metaphor for child-rearing. If your soil is contaminated, the toxic materials will be absorbed into the plant you are growing, which will result in poor root growth and plant establishment causing root and crown rots. The same applies to child-rearing; being physically hurt or abused by grown-ups during childhood can lead to detrimental consequences in adulthood. We cannot raise children in an incomplete, lonely and desperate world in which lovelessness is the order of the day.

When I look at people, I see a lot of beauty as well as tremendous suffering. I want to bring attention to the very old, widespread, deeply rooted misery, which has been harming us all for generations in many, perhaps most, cultures. What needs to be addressed is the way violence is passed on to boys; what is praised and encouraged. Violence and dominance are learned behaviors rather than innate traits of boys at birth. Not everyone realizes that this is a significant problem. My goal is to make a photobook in order to raise international awareness and start a conversation about this universal epidemic. It is important to address intersectional oppression at its root and take a step toward creating a connected world, which we can raise kids to thrive in.