Jenelle Smith Film Photography — Jamaica, 2019

Artist statement

I started this project during a trip to Jamaica in 2019. This trip was very special because I got to see my dad for the first time in 10 years. When I was younger, my dad dealt with various immigration issues, which resulted in him being deported. We’re very close, so we made sure to keep in touch as much as possible via text messages and phone calls. When the day finally came to see him in person, I thought it was going to be an intense, emotional reunion—like in a movie. But it wasn’t. We hugged like we had seen each other the day before. I realized it was because I felt at home. I was safe. I didn’t need a tearful encounter—all I needed was a hug and a kiss on the forehead from my dad. I held onto that feeling the entire trip. "Hidden in plain sight" speaks to the quiet, often overlooked moments where love and safety exist—the gentle familiarity of being with someone who knows you deeply.