We would like to include KOKOMO, a piece about Ryan White, in the live auction. This work was featured in Ian’s 2024 exhibition with us, Reflector, which opened during Pride at No Place. It was one of the show’s most resonant works, portraying Ryan White — whose story brings vital awareness to the struggle for acceptance and understanding that Equitas Health champions.
Diagnosed with AIDS at just 13 after a blood transfusion for hemophilia, Ryan faced severe prejudice and discrimination in his hometown of Kokomo, Indiana. Once celebrated as “The City of Firsts” for its automotive history, Kokomo became a focal point in the national conversation on HIV/AIDS and stigma. His story remains a powerful reminder of the impact of compassion, acceptance, and understanding — values deeply aligned with Equitas Health’s mission.
Ian Lewandowski (b. 1990) is a photographer from Northwest Indiana. His first solo exhibition, Community Board, was presented at The Java Project in Brooklyn in 2019. His series The Ice Palace Is Gone (2018–2019) was published as his first monograph by Magic Hour Press (Montréal) in 2021. His body of work My Man Mitch, based on photographs and archival material from his home state of Indiana, was published by Kult Books (Stockholm) in 2022. Ian teaches photography at The New School and Gowanus Darkroom, manages and prints the photographic archive of Kenny Gardner (1913–2002), and lives in Brooklyn with his husband Anthony and their dog Seneca.