"THE GUARDIAN" is a portrait photography edition that was originally part of my genesis collection, "TECHRUNNERS" but I decided that this photo was unique and deserved a stage by itself. I took this photo in 2019 before I had started building my own masks, and I had little money to invest in crafting props. Back then, I had a day job at Guitar Center and was driving between Beaumont and Houston, searching for neon signs that would emulate the cyberpunk aesthetic. In Houston, I often visit this fried rice restaurant downtown called "Rice Box." The environment feels futuristic, movies from the eighties and nineties would play on tv monitors by the bar, and fuschia neon signs illuminate the whole area. I'm so thankful for the management at Rice Box because they always allowed me to take photos in their restaurant, and without their support, this photo would not exist. When my model and friend Tram donned the mask and readied her sword, I felt as if she took on the role of some faceless guardian protecting either a person or an ideal. I like that her story is as vague as the mask she wears.