More Than Material by Ernest Wood III

“More Than Material is a portrait of our collective humanity being drawn up and out of materialism– a return to our unique dignity as soul-bearers. We are not solely what we make, be it good or ill, though it heaps about us. This restoration, filled with elements of hope, loss, despair, ruin, redemption and fortitude, is a work of unshakable effort and gentle grace embodied by each of the children depicted. It is with pointed intentionality that the girls’ portrait, bear up a ‘mighty’ man. It is often those who are considered weak or cast-off who are inhabited by great, unperceived strength. The young subjects themselves fulfill this narrative, as children who innately possess this unseen faculty. Devin Roberts, the male subject, is a personal trainer, model, and dancer in Wichita, KS. Jane and Maggie Neill are Ugandan-born sisters also residing in Wichita, KS, who enjoy school, church, and their other siblings.” – Ernest Wood III