Artist's statement on series "Tradition and Commerce" as part of the "Hide and Seek" School of Communications Senior Thesis Photography Exhibition of 2007:

"Dubai is a coastal desert region of the Middle East that has experienced rapid growth since the discovery of oil in 1966. Just over fifty years ago it was a fishing village with only six thousand inhabitants. Now over one million people, from all over the globe, call Dubai home. It is booming with industry and tourism, creating a unique area where westernized consumer culture seems to harmoniously coexist with a traditional way of life devoted to Islam." -Kristine Crawford