Tori shot her personal project ‘Beekeepers’ in Chicago in collaboration with The Sweet Beginnings, an organisation that offers transitional jobs in beekeeping to American citizens returning from incarceration.

Chicago Beekeepers – Beekeepers of North Lawndale is a short-term personal project I have photographed in Chicago, collaborating with North Lawndale Employment Network. This organization assists individuals returning from incarceration by providing transitional jobs in beekeeping. Operating within an urban setting, their apiaries extend to unconventional locations, such as O’Hare Airport. With high unemployment rates and a lack of public funding, North Lawndale stands as one of Chicago’s most economically disadvantaged areas, and the founder of NLEN, Brenda Palms Barber, is committed to narrowing racial wealth and income gaps by creating opportunities for local residents. Tori spent a week with the beekeepers, photographing them at work, and documenting the area of North Lawndale and its residents, capturing the essence of the neighbourhood.