Five years ago I began working with veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Like me, they’ve survived extreme encounters with history and culture. I wanted my work to engage their unique perspectives while communicating some of the deep indebtedness I felt for their sacrifices.

Inspired by something a young vet suffering from PTSD told me, the Queror portraits are painted directly on tactical fabric used by the US military. Camo forms the fabric that grounds the subject, and like the existential suffering of those who have worn the uniform in war, it never comes off.