Growing up in Brooklyn, the subway was a special place. A magic carpet that connected us all in a fleeting intersection. And as a child, I’d find myself people-watching, crafting stories in my head about the lives they led, the kinds of jobs they were on their way to, and all the potential adventures in store for them. My work aims to convey those unspoken tales: a gouache portrait which attempts to capture the differences certain individuals face when trying to earn a living.

Two young subway passengers are featured in a very familiar scene for any New Yorker: a girl holding a box of candies, and a boy sitting in an oversized suit. Her vibrant clothing is a stark contrast to the worn-down subway car that cradles her. Nearby, the boy sits absent-mindedly, his dull attire and bright smile reflecting a different world. Their expressions are a polar opposite: her frown and direct gaze versus his cheerful detachment.

Beneath our shared environment lie vastly different journeys within the everyday grind. We live in a world that ticks the same 24-hour clock indiscriminately, with each second an ongoing battle for many to meet the barest needs, while others drift through hours of ease; realities faced by both immigrants and locals alike.

“First Day of Work” is a reminder that each of us, regardless of circumstance, steps into this world wanting to earn our place; carrying burdens, privileges, hopes and hardships in equal measure.

A timeless dichotomy between working people and their relation to labor and life.