Undertones

​​In the midst of a hyper divisive climate, it can be hard to know how to help or where to begin.

Society is at a point where love and attention are shown to specific groups of people only after something traumatic has happened. Through endless cycles of tragic events, inconsistent waves of activism prevent the everlasting impact of sustainable change. In the ideal world, love is shown in an unprovoked manner - from a place of positivity, not trauma.

Steven Piper, Photographer and Director, has found solace over the past few years through connecting with subjects at the end of his lens and creating community in the creative industry. Through the power of photography, individuals were compelled to look internally, shaking up the box of representation and redefining what true authenticity meant to their personal journey.

The genesis of Undertones comes at the junction of trying to make a difference when issues feel overwhelmingly out of your hands.

Piper curated a diverse cross-functional team with a variety of expertise all under the same understanding – the importance of making people feel seen and heard in an authentic manner.

Imagery that empowers people to recognize their own beauty is a form of love, unprovoked and independent from any trend. Through this exhibition, Undertones is a 10-piece portrait and film series highlighting beauty and exposure to diversity through individuals who share their unique experiences and multidimensional identities to be seen in the world. The push to challenge society's perceptions of beauty showcases the power of resilience and the journey of self-love that exists for folks who have historically felt or been unseen.

Tiger Lily (she/her)

After losing both of her parents, Tiger Lily surrounded herself with her found family in the queer community. A family that lifts one another up and simultaneously motivates her to work harder as an artist and Costume Designer. She rejects society’s euro-centric standards of beauty, promoting her life experiences of being plus-size, queer and mixed race to be the representation she wish she had growing up.

Keith McHenry (he/him/they)

Keith’s journey towards transitioning taught them a lot about society's binary constructs of gender. As he identifies as transsexual and transmasculine, his transition brought to light the absence of references for those who identify as non-binary, such as how to speak, dress, or behave. Keith’s realization that you can BYOB (Build Your Own Body) taught him that he can present himself in whichever way feels natural.

Tanya Lozano (she/her)

Founder of Healthy Hood Chicago, a nonprofit that focuses on sustainable, healthy lifestyles, Tanya describes herself as a community architect. She brings together all the resources of her community to enrich the lives around her wherever she goes. Tanya is well known for her activism throughout Chicago, fighting for civil rights for black and brown communities. All of her efforts set a positive example for her children.

Lino Wilson (he/him)

Lino’s parents found success when they immigrated from South Sudan and settled in the suburbs of Chicago. Lino’s experience has largely been about carving out his own lane, despite that lane being different from his parents’ expectations. Lino found his own way to success through modeling, which simultaneously gave him the self-confidence in his dark complexion that had been missing growing up.

Priya Shah (she/her)

Founder of The Simple Good, Priya helps empower our youth to engage in activism through art and finding the good in everyday life. Her world travels have taught her that if children in underprivileged communities were still able to see the beauty in life and other people, she too has the ability to change her narrative and overcome her own struggles brought upon by society. As someone born without her left hand, she does not define herself as disabled because of all the positive and influential change she has been able to accomplish in her life.

Danielle Davis (she/her)

At a young age, Dani developed Alopecia Universalis, an autoimmune disease that most notably attacks hair follicles. As the only daughter of a hair stylist, she had to learn how to rebel against society's expectations of wearing a wig and embrace her beautiful baldness. For Dani, her story can be expressed in how she defines her femininity and styles her blank canvas.

Shiraz Bhatti (he/him)

As someone who identifies as Anishinaabe and Punjabi, a mix of ethnicities rarely represented in media, Shiraz takes pride in his unique individuality. He grew up in Paris as a young boy and found himself in a defining moment when he moved to the reservation in Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin, at 10 years old. Shiraz grew into himself and became more confident as he started to grow out his hair and learned the teachings of his people from his grandfather that directed his attention towards activism, music, and modeling.

Abena Boamah-Acheampong (she/her)

Founder of Hanahana Beauty, a consciously clean, skincare, beauty + wellness brand. With the mission to bring humanity to the skincare industry by promoting increased transparency of ingredient sourcing, accessibility of products, and responsible environmental practices. Hanahana Beauty creates results-driven products while empowering Black women globally by creating sustainable paths from producers to their customers, starting with creating access to living wages and healthcare for shea butter producers in Ghana.

Shaheem Anderson (they/them)

Shaheem is a free spirit who transcends the way society expects them to live their life. At their core, self-love prevails and allows them to rise above anyone else’s opinion or expectation of who they should be. As a model, Shaheem can present themself in a multitude of ways that others can gravitate to, relate to, and find inspiration in.

Amira Jazeera (she/her)

Growing up Palestinian in America, Amira didn’t see the representation that made her feel seen. This influenced her to pursue a career in music to be an example to those like her, to show that anyone can achieve their dreams. From suppressing her identity of being a first generation, queer, Palestinian woman, she cultivated the confidence she desired by following her passion regardless of what anyone thought of her.

Credits:

Steven Piper- Director/ Photographer/ EP

Shannon Clash- Story Director/ EP

Ashton Pina- Story Director

Nate McCabe- Director of Photography

Michele Morales- Designer/ Art Director

Shannon Lewis- Lead Painter/ Set Designer

Mary Fedorowski- Painter/ Set Designer 

Penelope Gac- Set Designer/ Florist 

Taylor Hansen Hughes- Lead Wardrobe Stylist

Morgan Garleff- Assistant Wardrobe Stylist 

Taylor Erwin- Assistant Wardrobe Stylist 

Amit Shah- Wardrobe Stylist 

Karen Jimenez- Lead HMUA

Karishma Mehta- HMUA 

Xavier Juarez- Producer

Ayantu Omer- Producer

Gigi Jones- Production Assistant/ Producer

Gabriela Chavez- Production Assistant 

L’jai Brown- Production Assistant 

Mo Santiago- Production Assistant 

Bobby Hughes- Carpenter

Luke Wilkening- Lead Editor

Batsirayi Zesaguli- Sound Designer

Caleb Hill- Colorist

Tyler Scheitlin - Motion Designer

Pico- Emotional Support Animal