Worldwide Market Series
What is the Worldwide Market Series?
For the last three years I have been traveling the world capturing street markets, vendors, and food stalls through photography. I collected tens of thousands of these images and chose a select few to become permanent works in my collection. This is an ongoing project of paintings and drawings based on the images I capture during my travels.
The Worldwide Market Series - so far - begins in South Korea and journeys through Vietnam, Japan, and Washington, DC. While these places are just a start, my hope is to travel to new countries for the purpose of capturing local markets and cultural celebrations. Follow along to see the world of markets through an artist's eyes.
수산시장 (Fish Market)
The Suwon Fish Market in South Korea was the first market that captured my eye - between the vibrant colors, the wide variety of goods, and fascinating people, I was entranced. The location is a permanent market filled with seemingly random products, clothing, produce, and fish. Fish Market, the first piece of the series, captures a solitary fish vendor right as the market opens; the viewer unaware that she has been awake since before dawn to prepare her catch for the day. At 10 am the day is already halfway over, yet the market is barely starting to hum. She awaits her first customer, hoping for an early sale and, possibly, an early end to her day.
"Cá Viên Chiên (Fried Fish Balls)"
Hanoi, Vietnam feels like pure motion—motorbikes flying in every direction, somehow never crashing. Total chaos, perfectly organized.
Out of the blur, this street vendor pulls up on a bike loaded with bags of skewered snacks. It’s packed like a rolling market. In the middle of it all, a stainless steel container full of fried fish balls, still steaming.
She slows just long enough for me to snap a quick photo. Then she’s gone—back into the flow like she was never there.
"Chôm Chôm (Rambutan)"
It’s hot in Hanoi—the kind of sticky heat that clings to your skin and makes the air feel thick. I’m wandering through the buzz of traffic and honking motorbikes when I spot her: a woman parked at the edge of the street, selling fruit from a motorbike that looks like it’s doubling as her office, kitchen, and storefront all in one.
The bike is stacked with baskets of rambutan—bright red with wild, spiky hair, like tiny tropical creatures. She catches me eyeing them and smiles, grabbing one and popping it open in a quick twist. She hands it to me without a word.
I take a bite. It’s milky-sweet, cool against the heat, with a hard pit in the center I almost bite down on. I grin, probably looking like I just discovered fruit for the first time.
I buy a bag without even asking the price. She nods, tosses a few extra in, and before I can say much else, she’s already back on her bike, riding off into the heat, chasing the next customer.
Works in Progress & Sketch Studies
Take a look at what I'm currently working on for this series