I grew up in South Surrey, a small town 45 minutes south of Vancouver, Canada. As a kid, I rode my bike around my cul-de-sac wearing a hand-me-down wedding veil while riding with my hands in the air. Not that I would know it at the time, but 20 years later I would find myself riding a red bicycle down a hill in Taipei, Taiwan, with my hands in the air, feeling the freedom from a bad breakup.

I spent my 20s living and going to school at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC with two of my best friends. Eventually I happen to meet Dennis, my husband, at a house party.

A few years later, Dennis and I moved to Edmonton, Alberta. As we were driving down Stoney Plain Road, on our way to our new life, I remember thinking there are no trees and to many pawn shops. I looked over at Dennis and thought, “well, if it doesn’t work out, I’ll find an apartment by myself and carry on.” Little did I know that Dennis was looking at me thinking ‘this is the woman I’m going to marry.’

As I love learning and teaching, I went on to earn a PhD in Public Health at the University of Alberta. I spent five years working with HIV+ individuals who called themselves chaotic (they were unstably housed, used drugs, were in and out of jail, and participated in the sex trade), but took their HIV medication every day. This is very hard to do!

Dennis and I still live in Edmonton with our TWO wonderful kids, Miles and Margot, French bulldog, Franklin, and Tigercat, Hamilton Bruiser Lefebvre. All of my experiences have culminated into my photography practice of using my camera to explore and understand my experience in the world. And to make photographs like the bike riding, wedding veil photograph.

Curriculum Vitae

My dad made this photograph of my mom with me while I took my first steps, 1982.