Wetland Refuge: A Silent Testimony

As an essential healthcare worker during the pandemic, Oquinn took to hiking around local wetland preserves and wildlife areas reminiscent of the places she explored as a child. As she visited these seemingly empty places, she saw the presence of humans in these environments. Although many of these vernacular landscapes were once privately owned and have been donated for public use, designated to be “returned to nature,” it is easy to miss the depth of human presence and involvement. The thoughtful consideration of this paradox, colored by Iman’s own memories and perceptions of these places during her childhood, led to the creation of the series Wetland Refuge: A Silent Testimony.

Images in this series highlight the paradox found in these spaces while also bringing to light the inattentional blindness that occurs when our collective consciousness defines these places as “natural,” implicitly excluding people. However, collective consciousness is not always based on whole truths but rather on what is true for society in simplest terms. Though the multi-purpose use of these spaces deserves to be reevaluated, there ultimately exists a greater paradox, as we are ultimately a part of the shared ecology.