Beach Epiphany

Beach Epiphany is a photographic exploration of the layered social and psychological landscape of Miami Beach — a space shaped by the tensions of cultural and economic disparities within American capitalist pursuits. Surrounded by swamps, skyscrapers, and the looming threat of climate collapse, the city embodies both the spectacle of excess and the fragility of its foundations. It draws global tourism and fuels a booming real estate economy, while facing irreversible sea level rise and cultural erosion. Initiated in 2017, Beach Epiphany evolved as a long-term investigation into the complex relationships between bodies, fluid identities, and the landscape. Drawing from documentary and conceptual traditions, the work reflects a process-based practice rooted in walking, observing, and engaging. Rather than presenting a linear narrative, the series unfolds as a visual tapestry — capturing fragments of joy, estrangement, absurdity, and intimacy. It challenges the sanitized, fetishized image of Miami Beach, revealing subtle frictions of public life. Through encounters with strangers and the quiet choreography of the shoreline, the project examines how place shapes identity — and how identity, in turn, gives presence to the landscape. The title refers to a sudden clarity that can emerge from ordinary moments — fleeting, ambiguous, and unresolved.