en buenas manos is a portrait series centered on members of my local community, Stuyvesant Heights, Brooklyn, and the stories and care they carry through their hands. This project focuses on individuals whose hands are essential to their daily lives, whether through work, craft, caregiving, or tradition. By pairing portraits with close-up images of hands in action, the goal is to highlight everyday people in a way that feels personal, respectful, and rooted in the community.
Dr. Brenda Boyd-Bell, Ph.D., provides consulting and essential services to children, families, and communities across Brooklyn and beyond. She has served as a professor, trauma counselor, and community advocate, dedicating her career to empowerment, literature, and social service.Seimy Lavannya
Rick Richards, groundskeeper and handyman at Dr. Josephine English’s mansion on 375 Stuyvesant Ave., knows central Brooklyn like the back of his hand. A fount of random facts, a collector of stoop treasures, and a connoisseur of snazzy ensembles, Rick is a true gem for the community center.
Cayenne, a current student of Freebrook Academy.Monique Scott is an educator, poet, painter, and mentor to youth in Brooklyn, New York. She supports the development of Black youth through nontraditional education, community building, and social justice work, currently leading Brooklyn Free School while expanding Freebrook services online and in Bed-Stuy at 375 Stuyvesant Ave.
Kylewants to share her art and aesthetic to the community through cosmotology, specificslly throufgh hair, nails, and makeup.wants to bring joy to the community through music and filmmaking. He plans to bring new stories that provide different outlooks. His dream project is a “unique horror film”.