ARTS Southeast is pleased to present No one belongs here more than you, a selection of images from the group exhibition of the same name, on display in The Ellis Gallery at ARTS Southeast from October 2 – December 12, 2026.

These artists are exploring the idea of relationships – between sisters, friends, young men, and family – and their place in larger communities. A sense of belonging is key, and these five emerging photographers ask us to explore our own sense of belonging alongside them as they capture the complex experience of connection.

josh aronson – florida boys

marsalis eason – hedge of protection

robin elise maaya – dani and beni

anna ottum – grasslands

José Ibarra Rizo – Somewhere Between

Florida-based photographer Josh Aronson taps into the experience of existing in a wild landscape; belonging, yet separate. In his Florida Boys series, figures commune with nature and one another, navigating youth and masculinity in the dense swamp of the Everglades. “Florida Boys comes from my lived experience. I grew up in Florida, surrounded by its landscape – so much of my childhood played out outdoors. But I’ve always felt like an insider-outsider here. I was born in Toronto and moved to Florida when I was three, and that lens – of being home but also apart – shaped how I see this place and the people in it.” (Josh Aronson in Impulse Magazine, Feb 2025 by Xuezhu Jenny Wang)

In his series Somewhere Between José Ibarra Rizo walks a different line, documenting the migrant experience in the American South with both urgency and sensitivity. Having immigrated with his mother at a young age, he reflects on “the distancing from it that occurs over time,” drawing it back up through his work and confronting complex narratives. His subjects sometimes face away from the camera, protecting their identities while asserting their presence; at other times, they choose to make eye contact. Exploring cultural memory and identity, Rizo’s images show people standing in their communities; gardening, embracing, playing soccer at sunset. 

Stepping into the arena of Black rodeo culture around the South, Marsalis Eason speaks about the intimacy and humanity of the behind-the-scenes moments he documents in his series Hedge of Protection. Some images show the action of these high-octane events, while others quietly lift the curtain on the rituals and relationships behind them. Moments of anticipation, prayer, pride and celebration have kept him coming back, getting to know cowboys young and old along the way. 

Robin Elise Maaya’s Dani and Beni is a near decade-long series documenting twin sisters as they grow up alongside one another, echoing and mirroring each other as entangled individuals. Their faces emerge from dark water; hair and limbs twist together in stark black and white. Marking the passage of time in her images of these sisters, it's easy to consider our own evolution as we are able to see theirs side by side.

Anna Ottum has documented everyone from “nail artists to rodeo queens, arctic explorers to pop stars, monster truck drivers to New York City’s youth…celebrating dynamic characters and subcultures through intimate portraiture.” Grasslands, perhaps her most intimate series, is shared here as the artist explores the small island town of Northeast Harbor, Maine. After losing her mother at the age of three, Anna generously takes us along on her journey of learning about her mother through her aunts and revisiting the family home.