HUMBLE


                     Humble presents a visual account of Bed-Stuy's Humble School of Martial Arts as a 
                     crucial community pillar amidst the rapid and significant changes in Brooklyn 
                     neighborhoods.

                     For over 60 years, Chief Master Sabu Lewis has exemplified identity, love, and hard work 
                     for many generations within the Bed-Stuy community. Sabu Lewis and his school have 
                     provided invaluable training in Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Arnis, and, most importantly, self-
                     discipline and self-confidence to community members of all ages.

                    The effects of the pandemic, gentrification, rising rents, and displacement have meant 
                    the school had to vacate its longtime home this past year. Conceived as a research 
                    project on how communities strive to preserve their cultural identity amidst urban 
                    development pressures, the series—created with a 4x5 field camera—illustrates how fast-
                    paced development is eroding cultural and community foundations, while community 
                    members dedicate themselves to preserving their traditions and roots.     

                    This project is a meditation on community relations, love, discipline, urban development, 
                    displacement, and loss. It is presented as an honest portrait that contemplates the past 
                    and present of a community through individual efforts to navigate the balance between 
                    hope and uncertainty.

                    Humble is an ongoing project. 


                    Winner of the Aperture and Google 2024 Creators Lab Photo Fund