Photo Essay
The Venice strip is a hip tourist location in Los Angeles. It hosts a variety of street life including vendors, performers, artists, musicians, roller-skaters, skateboarders, and athletes. Some call it a playground on the beach. One shop in particular has a noticeably strong effect on the tight-knit community of Venice vendors. Everyday Fallou Houb Wahed (60) stands at his storefront greeting passing customers and sharing conversations about love and spirituality.
The name Houb Wahed translates to “One Love” in Arabic. Around 42% of Arabic speakers live in Africa, making it one of the most common languages of the continent. While he prefers to go by Fallou, “One Love” has become his business name. “Everyone knows Fallou, he is a legend of Venice. I think he was one of the first people here,” says Bryan Scott (51), Fallou’s friend who runs a convenience store nearby. Throughout the concluding months of 2022, Fallou has received me with open arms and let me tell his story.
