This specific collection juxtaposes black men and peonies as a way to illustrate male vulnerability. Vulnerability is often thought of as weakness and “feminine”. For me peonies symbolize softness, fragility and beauty. Peonies require care, tenderness, patience and love to blossom into "their best selves". And, I believe that vulnerability requires the same effort to yield the same beautiful outcome. Each peony represented here is in a crucial stage of bloom (closed, full bloom). Acting as a fly on the wall, these monochrome portraits capture these black men in vulnerable and intimate moments.