Home Away From Home

Beyond the four walls where we discovered identity during childhood, what is it that makes a home? Is it the city in a faraway country where we first learned to speak the native tongue? Is it the feeling of belonging when surrounded by people who remind us of a unique, shared experience? Or is it where we choose to settle with loved ones at any given moment?

Home Away From Home is a snapshot of a small town in New York City, and the process of rediscovering home. It presents a candid look into the lives of Staten Island residents and documents the diverse life experiences often overlooked within the borough.

This series of images represents a period from my formative years in Staten Island, when I began to discover a sense of belonging years after feeling disconnected from my childhood in Lagos, Nigeria. Curiosity led me to people whose culture and lived experiences I deeply identified with.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Stephen Obisanya is a documentary photographer based in Staten Island. His work is heavily rooted in exploring the foundations of human connection and condition through the lens of family and community. Born (1989) in Lagos, Nigeria and now residing in New York City, much of Obisanya’s work is informed by his dual identity: a cultural background as an African, and a lived experience as a first-generation immigrant in America.

ABOUT THE PARTNER

The Alice Austen House fosters creative expression, explores personal identity, and educates and inspires the public through the interpretation of the photographs, life, and historic home of pioneering American photographer, Alice Austen (1866-1952).