ARTIST STATEMENT
These photographs capture the powerful moments of a protest in downtown Chicago, held in January 2025, organized by a coalition of local groups including American Muslims for Palestine, Immigrant Solidarity DuPage, and Push For 5 Coalition. As I witnessed the event unfold, I heard first-hand stories from immigrants, allies, indigenous people, survivors of police brutality, LGBTQIA+ members, families of victims, and others from marginalized communities, all sharing the painful injustices they’ve endured in America. The speakers highlighted the violence perpetuated by this nation—violence funded by the tax dollars of everyday Americans, directed both at its own people and at others around the world. The protestors marched through the streets, chanting our calls for justice and expressing our collective outrage at the ongoing oppression. While this event was a protest, it was also a profound act of intersectional solidarity. For too long, working-class people have been divided into separate struggles, each fighting for individual rights in the face of a system that seeks to keep us fragmented. This protest was a turning point, showing us the strength in unity—where people from diverse backgrounds and causes stood together, united in our shared fight against the corruption of the Trump regime and the oligarchs who continue to oppress us. In this moment, it became clear: we are the majority. Together, we possess a power far greater than any government or institution.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Gabrielle is a Chicago-based photographer with a passion for shooting both digital and film photography. She loves capturing the depth and emotion of black and white images, using dramatic lighting to enhance the mood. She is inspired by social justice, nature, and living in the moment and describes her style as cinematic and empowering. Gabrielle first fell in love with photography as a young child shooting self-portraits in her childhood bedroom or practicing food photography in her mother’s dinning room. She went on to study photography at Gallery 37 in Chicago and then further at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. In the years since she has continued to feed her love for art and creativity by capturing her life and surroundings on film. For her, photography is about preserving memories and emotions of a point in time. She enjoys shooting creative portraits, especially self-portraits, as they offer a genuine way to express herself and experiment with new techniques that show the many depths of each person on the other side of the lens. When she is not taking creative portraits, she shoots a lot of photojournalism while on walks with her dog, capturing the rawness and realness of the city and highlighting the uniqueness of each neighborhood in Chicago. She loves exploring new areas on foot and finding ways to show the beauty the world still has to offer despite the chaos and uncertainty each day brings in today’s world. Her dog smells the flowers while she captures the moments.
© Gabrielle Morrison