We all see reality differently, in ways that are informed by our own lived experiences. In this way we create an identity from the many fragments of our experiences and memories. We are all the alchemists of our own lives.
'Women of Colour' is an ongoing series of portraits of women of the African Diaspora. Through a surgically precise collage technique that he calls ‘Samplism’, Toby Laurent Belson cuts, tears and pastes hundreds of detailed photographic fragments and texts, to capture aspects relevant to the lives of his subjects which may or may not be known to the viewer.
In the creation of these works, he relies on both his knowledge and perception of his subjects and the meaningful coincidences of finding random yet relevant images, often introducing connections that only make sense upon later investigation.