it was cold and I was in Denmark Copenhagen and I was lost completely
Copenhagen and I was lost completely
Copenhagen and I was lost completely lost lost with myself lost in my career
lost lost with myself lost in my career
lost lost with myself lost in my career and lost mostly with my own definition I
and lost mostly with my own definition I
and lost mostly with my own definition I didn’t know who I was anymore
didn’t know who I was anymore
didn’t know who I was anymore and here was far away from everything
and here was far away from everything
and here was far away from everything that I know trying to figure out who I
that I know trying to figure out who I
that I know trying to figure out who I am or rather who do I want to be you see
am or rather who do I want to be you see
am or rather who do I want to be you see I studied architecture for eight years
I studied architecture for eight years
I studied architecture for eight years not because I wanted to but because my
not because I wanted to but because my
not because I wanted to but because my parents thought that the safest plan for
parents thought that the safest plan for
parents thought that the safest plan for me was to draw plans for the rest of my
me was to draw plans for the rest of my
me was to draw plans for the rest of my life for other people as an architect
life for other people as an architect
life for other people as an architect but in their defense I was like I was
but in their defense I was like I was
but in their defense I was like I was one of those kids that uh when they
one of those kids that uh when they
one of those kids that uh when they asked me so son what you want to do when
asked me so son what you want to do when
asked me so son what you want to do when you grow up I was like hmm I want to be
you grow up I was like hmm I want to be
you grow up I was like hmm I want to be like Michael Jackson James Brown and my
like Michael Jackson James Brown and my
like Michael Jackson James Brown and my dad was like we need to talk we need to
dad was like we need to talk we need to
dad was like we need to talk we need to talk sit down I’ll give you two option
talk sit down I’ll give you two option
talk sit down I’ll give you two option easy option one I help you I help you
easy option one I help you I help you
easy option one I help you I help you get an education in architecture in the
get an education in architecture in the
get an education in architecture in the finest school in America etc etc and
finest school in America etc etc and
finest school in America etc etc and option two I help you not no need to
option two I help you not no need to
option two I help you not no need to tell you which option I choose but then
tell you which option I choose but then
tell you which option I choose but then again fast-forward 10 years later Here I
again fast-forward 10 years later Here I
again fast-forward 10 years later Here I am in Copenhagen asking myself the same
am in Copenhagen asking myself the same
am in Copenhagen asking myself the same question what do I want to do when I
question what do I want to do when I
question what do I want to do when I grew up wait a minute there’s a lot of
grew up wait a minute there’s a lot of
grew up wait a minute there’s a lot of facial hair on my face like I’m no Peter
facial hair on my face like I’m no Peter
facial hair on my face like I’m no Peter Pan what do I want to do now and I think
Pan what do I want to do now and I think
Pan what do I want to do now and I think we all ask ourselves that question at
we all ask ourselves that question at
we all ask ourselves that question at some point in time in our life
some point in time in our life
some point in time in our life luckily there was this man his name is
luckily there was this man his name is
luckily there was this man his name is Hayden Hayden Knox from New York
Hayden Hayden Knox from New York
Hayden Hayden Knox from New York 75 years old he was living in my
75 years old he was living in my
75 years old he was living in my building and it tells me I mean I didn’t
building and it tells me I mean I didn’t
building and it tells me I mean I didn’t know him I would just like run into him
know him I would just like run into him
know him I would just like run into him in the building see how it was always
in the building see how it was always
in the building see how it was always nice smiling at all and one day I bump
nice smiling at all and one day I bump
nice smiling at all and one day I bump into him in the staircase and he tells
into him in the staircase and he tells
into him in the staircase and he tells me alone you’re an architect maybe a
me alone you’re an architect maybe a
me alone you’re an architect maybe a lawyer but I think you’re an architect
lawyer but I think you’re an architect
lawyer but I think you’re an architect but it was not your choice it was your
but it was not your choice it was your
but it was not your choice it was your father’s choice but you know what the
father’s choice but you know what the
father’s choice but you know what the good news is and the bad news is you’re
good news is and the bad news is you’re
good news is and the bad news is you’re not is deep down and you will not be
not is deep down and you will not be
not is deep down and you will not be able to get away from it I looked at him
able to get away from it I looked at him
able to get away from it I looked at him and I was like how do you know that and
and I was like how do you know that and
and I was like how do you know that and he looked at me straight in the eyes and
he looked at me straight in the eyes and
he looked at me straight in the eyes and he said because that’s the story of my
he said because that’s the story of my
he said because that’s the story of my life at this very moment that man Hayden
life at this very moment that man Hayden
life at this very moment that man Hayden planted the seed of confidence and
planted the seed of confidence and
planted the seed of confidence and evidence that I should just do what I
evidence that I should just do what I
evidence that I should just do what I wanted to do in my life and I started
wanted to do in my life and I started
wanted to do in my life and I started immediately I took a portrait of him but
immediately I took a portrait of him but
immediately I took a portrait of him but I didn’t stop there
I didn’t stop there
I didn’t stop there I went full force into it I started
I went full force into it I started
I went full force into it I started taking pictures of people like you
taking pictures of people like you
taking pictures of people like you people on the street like not
people on the street like not
people on the street like not necessarily people that had thought that
necessarily people that had thought that
necessarily people that had thought that were photogenic but people that were
were photogenic but people that were
were photogenic but people that were charismatic that had a story to tell and
charismatic that had a story to tell and
charismatic that had a story to tell and I could read those stories on their
I could read those stories on their
I could read those stories on their faces I would like talk to strangers on
faces I would like talk to strangers on
faces I would like talk to strangers on the streets in the subway I got a lot of
the streets in the subway I got a lot of
the streets in the subway I got a lot of knows a lot of Oh creepy but I got a few
knows a lot of Oh creepy but I got a few
knows a lot of Oh creepy but I got a few yes and it lit up a little people
yes and it lit up a little people
yes and it lit up a little people started to like those photos and people
started to like those photos and people
started to like those photos and people started contacting me oh I want to
started contacting me oh I want to
started contacting me oh I want to portrait like that one that you did
portrait like that one that you did
portrait like that one that you did there and next thing I know I’m making a
there and next thing I know I’m making a
there and next thing I know I’m making a living out of this actually a lot more
living out of this actually a lot more
living out of this actually a lot more than I was doing when I was an architect
than I was doing when I was an architect
than I was doing when I was an architect strangely enough but at my change you
strangely enough but at my change you
strangely enough but at my change you know they say architecture is the old
know they say architecture is the old
know they say architecture is the old man’s profession so I’m I switch my
man’s profession so I’m I switch my
man’s profession so I’m I switch my vinyls you know in the long run you know
vinyls you know in the long run you know
vinyls you know in the long run you know anyway so things are going great people
anyway so things are going great people
anyway so things are going great people are calling me until this one day my
are calling me until this one day my
are calling me until this one day my phone rings and it’s the UN it calling
phone rings and it’s the UN it calling
phone rings and it’s the UN it calling me they’re like mr. Allenby I’m like me
me they’re like mr. Allenby I’m like me
me they’re like mr. Allenby I’m like me yes yes sir
yes yes sir
yes yes sir we want to work with you we saw your
we want to work with you we saw your
we want to work with you we saw your work and we think it’s great we want to
work and we think it’s great we want to
work and we think it’s great we want to tell the stories of 10 women from Africa
tell the stories of 10 women from Africa
tell the stories of 10 women from Africa from Senegal which is my birthplace by
from Senegal which is my birthplace by
from Senegal which is my birthplace by the way and we think that your honors
the way and we think that your honors
the way and we think that your honors photography could your great candidate
photography could your great candidate
photography could your great candidate to tell the stories of those woman so I
to tell the stories of those woman so I
to tell the stories of those woman so I went to Africa to my back home and I
went to Africa to my back home and I
went to Africa to my back home and I worked and I had the chance to tell the
worked and I had the chance to tell the
worked and I had the chance to tell the stories of those amazing woman who
stories of those amazing woman who
stories of those amazing woman who started from nothing and built not
started from nothing and built not
started from nothing and built not kingdoms but kingdoms they just made it
kingdoms but kingdoms they just made it
kingdoms but kingdoms they just made it she was made
she was made
she was made she was earning less than $100 a month
she was earning less than $100 a month
she was earning less than $100 a month and she had a baby and her husband was
and she had a baby and her husband was
and she had a baby and her husband was like you’re not gonna go to school she
like you’re not gonna go to school she
like you’re not gonna go to school she left her husband took her baby on her
left her husband took her baby on her
left her husband took her baby on her back went to school and today she has
back went to school and today she has
back went to school and today she has two master’s degree and a company with
two master’s degree and a company with
two master’s degree and a company with 40 employees so I had the chance to tell
40 employees so I had the chance to tell
40 employees so I had the chance to tell the stories of those woman because after
the stories of those woman because after
the stories of those woman because after that that’s the cherry on the cake for
that that’s the cherry on the cake for
that that’s the cherry on the cake for my first exhibition to present his
my first exhibition to present his
my first exhibition to present his project they took me to the World Expo
project they took me to the World Expo
project they took me to the World Expo the universal Expo of Milan were
the universal Expo of Milan were
the universal Expo of Milan were exhibited my work for the first time in
exhibited my work for the first time in
exhibited my work for the first time in front of millions not thousands but
front of millions not thousands but
front of millions not thousands but millions of people and it was my first
millions of people and it was my first
millions of people and it was my first exhibition and I was like that is the
exhibition and I was like that is the
exhibition and I was like that is the sign that’s it
sign that’s it
sign that’s it this is good okay okay it’s on and
this is good okay okay it’s on and
this is good okay okay it’s on and people started calling me I was I had
people started calling me I was I had
people started calling me I was I had the chance to show this work tell the
the chance to show this work tell the
the chance to show this work tell the stories of this woman in many many
stories of this woman in many many
stories of this woman in many many countries I travel a lot but one thing
countries I travel a lot but one thing
countries I travel a lot but one thing was still missing I knew that I was
was still missing I knew that I was
was still missing I knew that I was doing what I loved but I didn’t know
doing what I loved but I didn’t know
doing what I loved but I didn’t know what it meant it was only one at
what it meant it was only one at
what it meant it was only one at that worked at a shot in Senegal and
that worked at a shot in Senegal and
that worked at a shot in Senegal and that I took it back to Senegal for the
that I took it back to Senegal for the
that I took it back to Senegal for the PNL of the car that it all made sense I
PNL of the car that it all made sense I
PNL of the car that it all made sense I had an art opening there I was very
had an art opening there I was very
had an art opening there I was very excited it was important for me because
excited it was important for me because
excited it was important for me because they are the most concern of the stories
they are the most concern of the stories
they are the most concern of the stories that I’m telling and I wanted to see how
that I’m telling and I wanted to see how
that I’m telling and I wanted to see how they would react and so good news it’s a
they would react and so good news it’s a
they would react and so good news it’s a it’s a full house lots of people are
it’s a full house lots of people are
it’s a full house lots of people are here
here
here everything’s great I’m happy but then
everything’s great I’m happy but then
everything’s great I’m happy but then somewhere in the middle there a group of
somewhere in the middle there a group of
somewhere in the middle there a group of students just come and out of them there
students just come and out of them there
students just come and out of them there was at least like 30 young woman and it
was at least like 30 young woman and it
was at least like 30 young woman and it just goes straight to my photos and they
just goes straight to my photos and they
just goes straight to my photos and they mesmerized by it and it just they stay
mesmerized by it and it just they stay
mesmerized by it and it just they stay there and they’re looking at it for like
there and they’re looking at it for like
there and they’re looking at it for like a good ten minutes and I’m like wow what
a good ten minutes and I’m like wow what
a good ten minutes and I’m like wow what is this and then the director of that
is this and then the director of that
is this and then the director of that school comes to me and tells me we’ve
school comes to me and tells me we’ve
school comes to me and tells me we’ve been to a lot of exhibitions and it’s
been to a lot of exhibitions and it’s
been to a lot of exhibitions and it’s the first time that I see them that
the first time that I see them that
the first time that I see them that focus and it hit me it hit me so hard
focus and it hit me it hit me so hard
focus and it hit me it hit me so hard they sing little pieces of themself in
they sing little pieces of themself in
they sing little pieces of themself in those photograph just like that man
those photograph just like that man
those photograph just like that man Hayden so a piece of himself in me back
Hayden so a piece of himself in me back
Hayden so a piece of himself in me back in Denmark see we all mirror to
in Denmark see we all mirror to
in Denmark see we all mirror to societies we all like mirrors to
societies we all like mirrors to
societies we all like mirrors to societies and in the quest of finding
societies and in the quest of finding
societies and in the quest of finding ourselves instead of telling the world
ourselves instead of telling the world
ourselves instead of telling the world with a lot of force and struggle instead
with a lot of force and struggle instead
with a lot of force and struggle instead of telling the world who we are maybe we
of telling the world who we are maybe we
of telling the world who we are maybe we should stop and listen because the world
should stop and listen because the world
should stop and listen because the world is already telling us or we are thank
is already telling us or we are thank
is already telling us or we are thank you
you
you [Applause]
”
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