Sabiha Cimen
Title
St. Louis MO, Year
A young woman in postpartum recovery stands at the window of her home, holding her baby as she watches neighbors pass by. She says the house has cracks and is in disrepair, but she can’t afford to move or stay in a hotel. She didn’t want to share her name.
A local woman in the roof top of her new house that demolished during the tornado.
Jayanne, 14, in her room on a weekend.
Members of the Lewis Place Historic Preservation community bow their heads in prayer before sharing a meal. They offer thanks for the food and lift prayers for social and environmental justice, asking God to bring healing and equity to their neighborhood.
Lumiere Sculpture Park. Dogs and eye.
Vacant houses in in Lewis Place Neighborhood. Approximately 40% of residential properties in Lewis Place remain vacant, are denied mortgage loans, insurance, and
A man on crutches makes his way to fill his cup with free food. Volunteers and local churches are distributing hot meals and other essential resources to residents impacted by the recent storm.
A girl in front of her defrayed house playing with her pink hula hoop.
A local young boy’s house demolished during the storm and he squat in the next house, which he thinks is relatively better to live in for a while.
Pamela Talley visiting her friend Russell Houston’s community garden and holding the dead roots.
A giant tree lies uprooted in the center of Fountain Park, just steps away from Dr. Pamela’s community office (third house from left).
A house covered in tarps and debris stands damaged by the recent tornado. Next door is the home of William L. Jenkins. The two properties once shared a garden, a space that recently became the site of a community dinner, where neighbors gathered amid the wreckage to share food and solidarity.
Friends are watching women dancing at their table at the Mother's Day celebration party at North Oak Plaza.
St. Louis Airport Hotel. A student in her dress at a graduation party in Renaissance.
A young woman, Donyae, at a Mother's Day celebration party at North Oak Plaza.
Women in cowboy hats at a Mother’s Day celebration at North Oak Plaza.
Lavone Morris, 55, a health care worker and church evangelist, holding the silver plates for donations.
A covered car.
Janelle Hunter’s son Jaysean, 8, is sitting and watching people in front of their demolished garage.
Jayanne, 14, steps into a broken mirror.USA. Missouri. St. Louis. May 2025. Jayanne (14) steps into a broken mirror.
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Founded in 2000, Lewis Place Historical Preservation revitalizes St. Louis’s historic, majority-Black Lewis Place neighborhood. Led by Dr. Pamela Talley, the group preserves architecture, restores abandoned homes, and promotes affordable housing through gardens, youth programs, and lot beautification. On May 16, 2025, a tornado struck Lewis Place and nearby neighborhoods, causing $1.6 billion in damage. As climate change fuels more extreme weather, photographer Sabiha Çimen captured the neighborhood before and after the storm. Sabiha Çimen is a self-taught photographer from Istanbul whose work focuses on women, Islamic culture, and portraiture. A Magnum Photos member since 2024, she is the award-winning author of Hafiz and has received honors from World Press Photo, the W. Eugene Smith Fund, and Paris Photo/Aperture.