REVERS éditions X Le Mégot éditions

Role : Publisher / curator

After working together on her exhibition in New York, Mahka Eslami and I naturally gravitated toward making a book. She had created such a rich body of work, far more than what the walls could hold, and we wanted a form that could travel, be shared, and live in people’s hands. This book grew from that desire, a continuation of the conversation we started in the gallery.

Most New Yorkers have a fond, sometimes almost obsessive, relationship with “their” bodega — their local corner store or favorite sandwich shop. In Brooklyn, the person behind the counter is often a Yemeni man.

Bodega Boys brings their everyday life to light: working with family, passing knowledge between generations, and navigating life between their roots and New York’s mosaic of identities. It reveals the invisible lives behind a familiar place, where every gesture, smile, and ritual tells a story of resilience, identity, and the pursuit of the American Dream.

BUY THE BOOK