The Fortune Cookie Project is a collection of stories, images, objects and “social sculpture” inspired by the people who were influenced in some way or another by this common cookie. To believe in destiny, blind luck, or even probability, places a specific fortune in your hands rather than another's.   This fortune, no matter how serious you may take it, made its way to be read by you, and you alone.

            Armed with these counseling cookies, the fortune cookie writer assumes the role as provider of thoughts, challenges, inspiration, and even humor; a role that the artist similarly adopts in many occasions.   Therefore, I gathered the subject's information and story together and assumed the role of fortune writer.    Once written, these fortunes were produced into fortune cookies to be distributed into the public to inspire an entirely new group of people. Using the same rules applied to “traditional” fortune writers, I digested the story and supplemental information from each inspirational subject to produce a new fortune. The role of the writer is to continue the cycle of inspiration… I was motivated to start this project because of a fortune cookie fortune. The subjects were affected by their fortunes enough to contact me and agree to share their story.   And finally, I was influenced to write fortunes from these inspirational stories to be produced and distributed for more potential inspiration.   Ultimately and unknowingly, my subjects were apart of a collaboration to not only be inspired, but to inspire.

            After posting a Craigslist advertisement, I selected subjects that would meet together to share a story and to build a community outside of the digital bulletin board. I used a 4x5 camera to capture the portraits of my subjects.   This lengthy portrait sitting was important for the subject to have a moment with the camera, myself as well as offer time for them to get acquainted with the other subjects of the Fortune Cookie Project.   I created a community of people who were ranging from couples and children to business owners and artists, each subject provided their story and fatefully responsible fortune. The final installation of the Fortune Cookie Project consists of 11 large format photographs containing a fortune below each subject.   Displayed in front of the 11 images is a large bowl of the free mass produced fortune cookies comprised of all 11 new fortunes written by me.