Em Monforte (they/them) is a U.S.-based fine art and editorial portrait photographer whose work has been featured in esteemed publications, including The New York Times, New York Magazine, Los Angeles Times, and The British Journal of Photography, among others.

Over the past decade, Monforte’s art practice has relentlessly explored the layered, multifaceted nature of the human experience. With a deep attunement to individual identity, they seek to capture the vulnerability, strength, and beauty inherent in each subject—often revealed through intimate details such as clothing, home environments, and the narratives people share about themselves.

Monforte’s personal connection to chronic illness and disability within their family impacted their process in making Beyond The Diagnosis. Their experience inspired a commitment to challenging reductive portrayals of patienthood. Rather than centering representation around medical diagnoses, Monforte’s work broadens the lens to encompass the full humanity of each individual navigating cancer. Through multimedia storytelling, they illuminate the complexity, resilience, and individuality of those moving through their diagnosis.

Monforte was profoundly moved by the gratitude each participant expressed—for being seen not merely as patients, but as whole, complex individuals with vibrant, multidimensional lives. They envision this exhibition as both an act of quiet advocacy and a refuge where cancer patients and survivors can find themselves reflected in the stories portrayed.

Far too often, pharmaceutical and research spaces reduce patient stories to center around their diagnoses. In order to beat this beast we call cancer, it is vital we recognize the transformative power of holistic representation that fosters empathy, connection, and a feeling of recognition by those these spaces aim to serve. It is imperative that we center patients’ full stories, beyond their diagnoses.

You can find more of Em’s work at @em.monforte or em-monforte.com