My personal emancipation came through a series of three stages; the first being an incident where I was lost in the mountains surrounding Kitimat, BC at the age of sixteen years. The abuse had escalated just prior to this ordeal, but it came to a full-stop after I was able to find my way back to civilization. My encounter with a bear during this episode only served to foster an indelible pull towards the wilderness. 

The second stage was when I chose to tell someone about the abuse as a young adult, risking this vulnerability is an essential step for any victim. Being naked, as opposed to "nude," is a state of vulnerability as a human being, so it was the fitting choice for this body of work.