Democracy
Democracy is a project born from observation—both of individuals and of the systems they represent. Inspired by my earlier exploration in A Very Brief History, I approached the leaders of democratic nations with the same process of attentive study and quiet reflection. Rather than relying on philosophical texts, historical analyses, or academic commentaries, I chose to engage directly with photographic representations of these figures.
Photographs allow for a kind of freedom in looking—an opportunity to pause, to dwell on the details of expression, posture, and presence that might otherwise go unnoticed. They provide a way to see beyond the surface, to consider the humanity and contradictions embodied by each leader. Through this process of careful observation, I created line drawings as a way to distill and make sense of what I encountered.
These drawings are not portraits in the traditional sense. They are attempts to access the intangible essence of democracy through the individuals who represent it. What emerges is not a definitive answer or conclusion but rather a series of open-ended questions: What does democracy look like when observed slowly and freely? What lies beyond the constructed images of power and leadership?
By working in this way, I seek to sense democracy not as an idealized concept or a set of rules but as a lived and evolving phenomenon. The simplicity of line drawing mirrors the complexity of what is being examined—stripping away the noise of theory to focus on the act of seeing, feeling, and questioning. Through this project, I invite viewers to join me in this quiet process of observation, to reflect on the leaders we choose and the systems we inhabit, and to consider the ways in which democracy reveals itself in unexpected, personal ways.
Democracy is a project born from observation—both of individuals and of the systems they represent. Inspired by my earlier exploration in A Very Brief History, I approached the leaders of democratic nations with the same process of attentive study and quiet reflection. Rather than relying on philosophical texts, historical analyses, or academic commentaries, I chose to engage directly with photographic representations of these figures.
Photographs allow for a kind of freedom in looking—an opportunity to pause, to dwell on the details of expression, posture, and presence that might otherwise go unnoticed. They provide a way to see beyond the surface, to consider the humanity and contradictions embodied by each leader. Through this process of careful observation, I created line drawings as a way to distill and make sense of what I encountered.
These drawings are not portraits in the traditional sense. They are attempts to access the intangible essence of democracy through the individuals who represent it. What emerges is not a definitive answer or conclusion but rather a series of open-ended questions: What does democracy look like when observed slowly and freely? What lies beyond the constructed images of power and leadership?
By working in this way, I seek to sense democracy not as an idealized concept or a set of rules but as a lived and evolving phenomenon. The simplicity of line drawing mirrors the complexity of what is being examined—stripping away the noise of theory to focus on the act of seeing, feeling, and questioning. Through this project, I invite viewers to join me in this quiet process of observation, to reflect on the leaders we choose and the systems we inhabit, and to consider the ways in which democracy reveals itself in unexpected, personal ways.