In 1904, the World’s Fair in Louisiana highlighted the United States’ efforts to “civilize” the people of the Philippines and present the economic potential of the island chains' natural resources on the heels of the Philippine-American War (1899-1902).  Full-size replicas of “primitive” living quarters, equipped with live Filipino "natives” who inhabited them were on display and made to perform acts such as hunting competitions and dog feasting during scheduled times throughout the day. 

This series of drawings is an exploration of how identity (cultural, political, and personal) is obscured due to misinformation.  Based on photographs from the St. Louis World’s Fair and the early 1900’s, the drawings introduce characters devoid of any background to further the notion of someone’s identity being taken out of context.  The characters featured consist of the “natives on display”, people in everyday situations, and images from the Philippine-American war.

By drawing on a small scale and omitting, blurring, or fading some features, I encourage the viewer to more closely investigate how lack of information shapes/misshapes one’s perception of another’s identity.