I Am More Than Who You See emerged from the University of Oregon Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art's Community Conversations series and was created by Lisa Abia-Smith, inspired by Cephas Williams' 56 Black Men campaign. The project explored identity, misrepresentation, and the lived impact of societal assumptions, creating space for participants to reflect on how they were perceived and how they wished to be understood.

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Rather than constructing a single narrative, Malik Lovette and I centered each participant's voice through collaborative portrait-making. Working primarily with students of color, the project invited individuals to explore how race, gender identity, sexuality, culture, and personal history shaped their experiences and to reclaim agency over their own representation.

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Throughout the process, we emphasized collaboration, consent, and authentic self-representation. The resulting portraits challenged stereotypes and encouraged viewers to confront assumptions surrounding race, gender expression, and sexuality while recognizing identity as complex, evolving, and deeply personal.

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As part of the Community Conversations series, I Am More Than Who You See demonstrated how portraiture can become a tool for dialogue, empathy, and representation. By centering participants' lived experiences, the project encouraged viewers to move beyond assumptions and engage with identity through the voices of those sharing their own stories.