Joel Parkinson, Star (PEOPLE & PORTRAIT 2025)

Created in collaboration with my close friend Star, this portrait draws inspiration from the Haudenosaunee Sky Woman creation story. An origin story from the Haudenosaunee Confederacy of North America, where a woman falls through the sky into water’s embrace, in the stillness before the world begins. Here, Star floats in darkness, neither sinking nor rising, held in the breathless space between falling and forming. Her braids drift like roots seeking land, echoing the search for ground and the promise of new life. The water becomes womb and cosmos, a place of origin, reflection, and transformation.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.