THE DOUGLASS PROJECT
Photography by Ramshah Kanwal
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s to stay connected to you. You are your main source of inspiration.
Looking back, the first time I was creative was when I was a kid, growing up in The Projects on 103rd and Amsterdam Ave. The Douglas Projects. Growing up, I used to be creative in my own way by coloring and fixing toys.
The projects have always been my project; it’s what connects me and brings me back to me. I’ve been thinking about the duality of the word “project,” how depending on who you ask it has either a negative or positive connotation. I want to redefine what “project” means in my neighborhood.
To stay connected, I decided to produce a shoot that pays homage to my beginnings, to The Douglas Projects. I found inspiration in old photos of me that I dug up. From the colorways of my outfits to locations, I built off who I was from each of those eras of my life.
Where you come from makes you who you are. I’m a work in progress. I am a project within a bigger project itself: life.
