Christian Wilbur

Christian Wilbur is a photographer based in New York, NY. Born in the Long Island suburb of Huntington in 1991, Christian initially used music, drawing, and painting as his primary methods of expression, but he later began photographing to better interact with his peers. Through his photography Christian explores notions of human connectivity and communication within the context of the domestic space and the suburban United States. In 2013, Christian received a B.F.A. in Photography from the School of Visual Arts in New York, NY.

Kelsey
Kelsey is an ongoing series documenting the eponymous young woman as she transitions into adulthood while grappling with the affects of Asperger’s syndrome, a pervasive developmental disorder whose primary symptoms include limited social skills, communication difficulties, and fixed preoccupations or rituals. Over the years, Kelsey has developed methods of communication that enable her to express herself in non-verbal ways, such as through music, drawing, and fashion. Early on in her childhood, Kelsey signed up for her elementary school’s orchestra to play the viola; this interest eventually grew into a passion, and she soon thereafter signed up for private music lessons. Upon graduating high school in 2011, she enrolled at a local community college with the intention of studying Music Therapy; however, the stress and academic pressure of the program eventually prompted her to halt her studies. This turn of events proved to be extremely discouraging to Kelsey’s spirit, and over time she gradually stopped practicing her music.

Pending future decisions regarding continuing her education, Kelsey is currently seeking gainful employment following the completion of two separate clerical internships, with much of her free time spent in her bedroom drawing in her moleskin notebook, a passion nurtured over the years by her love of animated television shows and films such as Sailor Moon and Wreck-it Ralph. In light of the uncertainty she faces as she enters adulthood as a disabled person, Kelsey remains steadfastly optimistic about what the future potentially holds for her, an outlook reinforced by decorative and domestic idiosyncrasies found in and around her household; electrical wires looming above her home fortify her inextricable relationship to the outside world surrounding her, while several birdhouses placed up upon rotting segments of a large elm tree in her backyard suggest the potential for future growth and development despite her inherent handicap.

To see more of Christian’s work, check out his website.