A Truly Normal Family

© Yuki Furusawa - Mother sitting in front of the kitchen sink, thinking about the chores she still needs to finish. © Yuki Furusawa - Father wearing his wife's blouse and jewelry./Mother wearing her blouse from youth and her favorite jewelry. © Yuki Furusawa - A portrait of the mother and the father. View all images ↓
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Family, where you could feel most at ease, and most awkward. Someone once called my family “ideal,” but what does that even mean? This work questions the idea of a normal family shaped by roles, expectations, and the fantasy of being ideal.

Someone once said to me, “Your family is ideal.” But it made me wonder, “What does ‘ideal’ even mean?” At the same time, another thought came to mind, “How could someone say that without knowing what’s inside my family?” When I look back on why I create artwork about my family, I always come back to that moment.

We all try to present the “normal” or “ideal” side of ourselves and our families. But inside, there are always parts we would rather hide. Silly or embarrassing moments, old wounds, even deep conflicts. We cover them up, playing the role of the perfectly normal family for the outside world.

There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s human nature to want to be liked, to fit in, or even to appear better than others. But over time, we would grow tired of the performance and feel worn down by constantly hiding your true self behind the mask of “normal.” We may even start questioning why you are doing so. This is where my project, A Truly Normal Family, began.

In Japan, some people still believe that individuals have specific roles and values as family members, and that they must play those roles well. For example, the father should be the breadwinner, the mother should do household chores and take care of the children, and the children should grow up healthy and lively. People take this idea of a stereotypical family and turn it into “The ideal normal family,” believing that having such a family is perfectly normal and truly right for everyone. However, many people feel insecure when they compare their own families to this ideal and see how different they are.

This work questions what a normal family means to you. If your family differs from the common idea of the ideal normal family, there is no reason to feel ashamed. People’s roles within a family are separate from their personal values and should not limit how we see them as individuals. Every family is original and unique, and no one has the right to judge another’s.

One day, you will realise there is no such thing as “The ideal normal family” and it is just a fantasy. What you discover when you accept yourself and your family as you truly are may be far more important than any ideal.

This project is a candidate for PhMuseum 2026 Photography Grant

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© Yuki Furusawa - Mother sitting in front of the kitchen sink, thinking about the chores she still needs to finish.
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Mother sitting in front of the kitchen sink, thinking about the chores she still needs to finish.

© Yuki Furusawa - Father wearing his wife's blouse and jewelry./Mother wearing her blouse from youth and her favorite jewelry.
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Father wearing his wife's blouse and jewelry./Mother wearing her blouse from youth and her favorite jewelry.

© Yuki Furusawa - A portrait of the mother and the father.
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A portrait of the mother and the father.

© Yuki Furusawa - Father’s feminine legs./Mother’s masculine legs.
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Father’s feminine legs./Mother’s masculine legs.

© Yuki Furusawa - Mother and daughter in the kitchen at night.
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Mother and daughter in the kitchen at night.

© Yuki Furusawa - Daughter wearing her father’s ties and glasses.
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Daughter wearing her father’s ties and glasses.

© Yuki Furusawa - Mother standing in front of an abandoned house.
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Mother standing in front of an abandoned house.

© Yuki Furusawa - Mother with an imaginary beard.
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Mother with an imaginary beard.

© Yuki Furusawa - Family, looking depressed, with spilled coffee and milk.
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Family, looking depressed, with spilled coffee and milk.

© Yuki Furusawa - Spilled coffee and milk.
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Spilled coffee and milk.

© Yuki Furusawa - Mother in the bathroom.
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Mother in the bathroom.

© Yuki Furusawa - Mother in the mirror.
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Mother in the mirror.

© Yuki Furusawa - Mother and daughter standing in a traditional Japanese public bathhous.
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Mother and daughter standing in a traditional Japanese public bathhous.

© Yuki Furusawa - Mother and daughter with peony, in their pajamas.
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Mother and daughter with peony, in their pajamas.

© Yuki Furusawa - Mother wrapped in a curtain.
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Mother wrapped in a curtain.

© Yuki Furusawa - Mother surrounded by children’s playthings.
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Mother surrounded by children’s playthings.

© Yuki Furusawa - Daughter after a bath.
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Daughter after a bath.

© Yuki Furusawa - Portraits of the family.
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Portraits of the family.

© Yuki Furusawa - An apron and a glove in the kitchen.
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An apron and a glove in the kitchen.

© Yuki Furusawa - A family portrait.
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A family portrait.