Sarker Protick, Artist, Sydney, Australia, 2018

Two days after I met and photographed Sarker, he was to fly back to his native Bangladesh, a journey filled with uncertainty. His friend and colleague, photographer and activist Shahidul Alam, had been jailed and tortured only a month earlier, along with hundreds of other people who had openly voiced their dissent towards the government on social media. Sarker, having tried to raise awareness of the situation, had no way of knowing if his own arrival would be a cause of concern.

This portrait is part of a series, CITIZEN – ongoing for 25 years thus far – where I have portrayed people with the same taxonomical approach, adhering to strict technical and emotional parameters.