Maternal Touch

2025
Inkjet print

As a child, I saw my mother simply as “Mother”; a flawless figure, defined entirely by the role she played. As I grow older, I’ve come to see her as a full subject, shaped by both strengths and imperfections. Still, I try to hold on to the child’s view, to the sense of calm and quiet that a maternal touch once brought. Over time, my dependence on her has lessened. Paradoxically, that shift unsettles me. I feel the safe space she once held for me slipping away. I photograph my mother, my sister, and myself, as well as other mothers and daughters with close ties to us. I aim to create situations where, at first, closeness and physical contact feel imposed—slightly awkward or staged. But soon, tension gives way to a longing for connection, and I find myself witnessing something deeply intimate.