For this book, students were randomly assigned another member of the class to interview. That interview was then to become a book that somehow encompassed the “essence” of that person.

The person i had was Saniya. Saniya’s two most prevalent characteristics was that she was a hoarder and a lover of books. Her hoarding tendency was reflected in a giant binder of belongings that she walked me through. In this binder were all kinds of random knick knacks that she had collected over the years. There were letters dating back to her elementary school years, bits of magazines she had cut out, other people’s artwork she had held onto, and some of her own work as well.

One section of this binder in particular was devoted to women that she had cut out of magazines. All of these women were the centerpiece of their individual composition. Most of them looked directly into the camera and very few of them smiled. This collection seemed to correspond with some things that Saniya had said in her interview about loving a strong female lead.

In an attempt to capture Saniya, I went for a very colorful, scrappybook-like approach. I put together compositions of similar objects that Saniya had collected and photographed them. Many of these photographs became backdrops for quotes that seemed to fit what was being shown. Many pictures also show Saniya herself interacting with the items in her binder, as she had a clear personal relationship with them that needed a place in the book.