I remember clearly the moment my father called to say he was selling our family home.

Unable to Stay, is a love letter to this space. As a lifelong nomad, 1104 Martinstein Avenue was my anchor. I began making trips back to Long Island in the spring to explore my relationship with the space, my family, and examine my history. Through photography, archive, collage, video, and installation, I tell the story of my younger self, protected in a time capsule of enchantment and safety.

A home transcends its primary function as a space to keep possessions and rest. The longer a family occupies a space, the deeper its hold over that family becomes. I struggle with my own denial over the loss of my childhood home. It existed as a place of security and stability for me for many years. I watched as my grandmother aged and my father took responsibility for the property, just as his father once had. When you are young, you believe these places will always be accessible, they remain within the family as an established piece of your legacy. With my grandmother's passing, it became clear my father would not be able to stay at the house at 1104 Martinstien Avenue for much longer, and accepting this new reality became difficult.