Artist Statement
Pets and Their Peeps explores the relationships between people and the animals they call family. Pets are companions, sources of emotional support, and constant presences through life’s changes. While every relationship is unique, the bond between a person and their pet reflects qualities that are deeply human: love, loyalty, vulnerability, and belonging.
This project stems from my appreciation for the ways animals shape our emotional lives. Pets witness our most private moments, accompanying us through change, loss, celebration, and everyday routines. Their presence offers comfort, stability, and unconditional acceptance. In return, they depend on us for care, creating relationships rooted in trust, affection, and responsibility.
Although these connections are universal, this series is rooted in San Francisco, the city where my parents were raised, where I was born. A community that shaped my life through stories told by my parents and frequent visits throughout my life. As one of the country’s most pet-friendly cities, it provides a fitting backdrop for exploring the enduring relationships between people and their animals. Photographing this community allowed me to create images that celebrate both individual personalities and shared lives between people and the animals they love, or could we say between the animals and the people they love?
Through Pets and Their Peeps, I invite viewers to reflect on the profound role animals play in our lives and the lasting connections built together. These photographs celebrate the love, joy, comfort, and companionship that emerge when humans and animals share their lives—and remind us that these relationships often shape us as deeply as any human bond.
